Ebony and Ivory
by Skyla123
Summary: In 1693, Thackery Binx and Elizabeth Taylor were cursed on All Hallows Eve by Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson. They were seperated for over three hundred years, until one fateful Halloween night in 1993 when Max Dennison lit the Black Flame Candle...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything related to Hocus Pocus or The Blair Witch Project.

Author's Note: This is my first Hocus Pocus fanfic, so I will try to keep it as faithful to the original cannon as possible. Anyway this story is about Thackery and Elizabeth, another soul who was cursed by Winifred Sanderson the night she and her sisters were hanged, her story has been long forgotten in the pages of history.

This is the **true** story of Hocus Pocus...

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><p>Salem Village - 1689<p>

When Elizabeth Taylor was ten years old she moved to Salem Village with her widowed mother, who was with child, to live with her uncle the Reverend Parris after her father went down with his ship near Cape Cod. They had lived on the sea front of Salem Town, a busy port that was full of trade from England and far away Europe. It was on a return voyage from such places that Elizabeth's father lost his life, leaving behind a grieving wife and daughter.

The Reverend Parris was her mother's brother, and their only male relative living in the colonies. So it was decided that they would move in with him and the two young girls under his care, Betty Parris his daughter, Abigail Williams his late wife's niece and their slave Tituba. They were welcomed to the small farming community with open arms and respectful sympathy for their loss, but it did not take long for the townsfolk to warn them of the Sanderson Sisters.

At the time Elizabeth was of the right age for them to steal her away, and the Elders of Salem had told her such tales of wickedness and evil that they caused her to faint onto the floor. Her mother had soothed her when she came round, even though she was close to her time and was warned not to move around too much.

Her cousins were instructed by the Reverend Parris to teach her how to be a respectable Puritan child, since the religion was followed more closely in Salem Village then it had been in Salem Town. Elizabeth found it hard to conform to such strict rules, but for the sake of her mother she tried to follow them in public to spare her uncle any embarrassment. Not that it would have made much difference, since it seamed that he was fighting the Village council over the ownership of the Vicarage.

He explained to her mother one evening that when he came to the village, the previous council had given him the deeds to the Vicarage which stated the building was his and did not belong to the church of Salem. The current council claimed that the old council had no right to give him the deeds and demanded that he return them, since the building belonged to the village in general and not to the Reverend who lived in it. It was a bitter argument that had lasted for many months, with each side stubbornly refusing to back down till the other yielded.

A few months after their arrival, Elizabeth's little sister Ruth was born. The birth had been difficult but both mother and babe were strong and healthy, and Elizabeth actually began to smile again. Ruth grew stronger every day, growing into a loveable toddler who was doted upon by her elder sister. Her cousins also loved her dearly, playing with her and singing songs to her while the slave Tituba did the household work.

Then one day, Ruth disappeared.

Ruth had gone to bed with both her mother and her sister, sleeping between the two of them as she usually did. The next morning she was gone, the door to the house was ajar and little footprints in the mud lead towards the woods. The men immediately went out to search while Elizabeth and her cousins tried to comfort her mother, praying that the men would find her safe and sound.

The men returned that night with a small bundle in their arms.

Her mother flew to them crying her thanks to the Lord for delivering her baby, but she stopped dead when they showed her what lay inside the blanket. Her mother looked for a few moments before screaming, snatching the bundle away and cradling it to her chest as she fell to the ground. Elizabeth tried to go to her, but her uncle Parris held her back as the townsfolk looked on with horror and fear.

Ruth was dead, murdered by the Sanderson sisters for her young life force.

Elizabeth went down that night to where her sister was laid out, ready for her burial the next day. A shroud lay over her tiny form, and Elizabeth pulled it back gently as if she was afraid to wake her from her eternal sleep. The sight that greeted her was horrific, and caused her to cry out in heartache and pain.

Ruth was a withered husk, her skin shrivelled and pale with the veins sticking out like rods travelling up her arms. Her hair was a stark while, no longer the rich golden brown that she had brushed daily for her. If it were not for her nightdress and her little wooden cross around her neck, Elizabeth would never had known it was her sister. Her mother came upon her the next day, her arms propped up on the rim of the coffin holding Ruth's withered hand within her own.

They buried Ruth that morning, a simple service that was alive with whispers of the Sanderson Sisters.

It was not long after the funeral that she met Thackery Binx.

Elizabeth was consumed with guilt and self loathing over Ruth's death, blaming herself for not protecting her baby sister from the witches. Nightmares plagued her at night, visions of Ruth screaming for her while three dark figures turned her into the withered husk she became. Sometimes it was hard to stay inside the Vicarage without being reminded of Ruth, so Elizabeth would flee the house and sit in the meadow that was next to the Binx house. A withered old tree stood in the far corner facing the woods, Elizabeth would sit amongst its roots and weep for her sister in private. It was on one such occasion that he found her crying among the roots, his voice making her jump nearly out of her skin with fright.

"Are thou alright, Elizabeth?"

She looked up to see young Thackery Binx, standing over her and holding out a handkerchief. She stared at him for a few moments, before her wounded pride and embarrassment reared its ugly head.

"Do I look alright to thee, Master Binx?"

She had not meant to snap at him, but she was scared and humiliated that someone had found her like that. She was supposed to be strong for her mother, not crying like a weakling at the drop of a hat when her emotions got the best of her. Thackery crouched down to her level and held out the handkerchief once more.

"No, thou do not. And my name is Thackery, I can not stand it when folk call me 'Master Binx'."

His scowl made Elizabeth smile through her tears, and she gratefully took the handkerchief from him. He sat down next to her as she dried her eyes, his eyes holding a far away gaze. Elizabeth was grateful her was not looking at her, for she knew she must have looked pathetic and she forced herself to stop crying and calm down. She folded the tear stained cloth and held it out to him.

"Thank thee."

He shook his head.

"Nay, thou should keep it. Just in case."

She slipped it into her sleeve, her eyes focusing on the woods so that she would not foolishly burst into tears over a simple handkerchief. Elizabeth had in her anger desired to go into the woods and find the old crones and had marched from the Vicarage and across the very meadow she now sat in, but at the edge of the woods she realised that all she would do was cause her mother more sorrow. So she remained in the town, anger and self-hatred festering within her soul. Thackery must have noticed the emotions flickering across her eyes, for he spoke up just as she took in a deep breath to calm herself once again.

"I am sorry for thy loss."

His voice was soft, as if he were afraid of breaking her if he spoke any louder. His sympathy was genuine and it caused tears to form at her eyelids, but she blinked them away. She had cried enough for one day.

"It was not thy fault."

Elizabeth knew it was true, she could have done nothing against the sisters and their dark spells. But she wished she could have done something, anything at all instead of rolling over and letting her baby sister die all alone in those woods.

"Yes it was. I should have protected her better."

Thackery turned his head sharply towards her, his expression causing her to jump at its fierceness. It reminded her of her father's expression when a sailor had tried to touch her mother, and it had not ended well for the other man. But it was strange to see such a passionate fire in the usually reserved young man.

"Elizabeth, it is not thy fault your sister has returned to the Lord. If any one should be blamed, it is the Sanderson hags!"

He grabbed her hand, the comforting gesture causing tears to build once more. She knew he was not angry with her, but with the ones who had caused her grief and guilt. Those feeling were burning her alive, and her mother was so grief stricken that she refused to leave their bed. Her uncle was kind, but he had no experience in dealing with children. Thackery was the only one to see what she was really feeling, and she was so grateful that he had and was trying to help her. She nodded her head, and he squeezed her hand once more in comfort.

"Come. My mother was asking after thee and thy mother, she would welcome the company."

She allowed him to pull her up, and to take her by the hand to his house where his mother was washing clothes in the sunshine. Goodwife Binx paused her work as the pair approached, rising with some difficulty since she was now quick with child. The woman approached Elizabeth and hugged her, which caused her tears to come forth once more.

"Poor child. Your mother and thee have my heartfelt sympathy, if thou ever need help we are at thy service."

It took Elizabeth a moment to find her voice.

"Thank thee Goodwife Binx."

The woman released her, a sympathetic smile on her face. Thackery cleared his throat.

"Should thou be doing that mother? The doctor said…"

"Oh bother the doctor, he is no woman and neither is thee. Who else is going to clean thy shirts while ye are in the field with thy father?"

Elizabeth watched Thackery turn bright red as his mother scolded him, and she could not stop the laugh that burst from her lips. Thackery's mother chuckled as well when he turned as red as a strawberry, shooing him back to the field to help his father with the harvest. Elizabeth watched him go, unsure of what to do next when his mother called her over to the wash tub.

"As much as I love my son, he does worry so. But he was right, I am tired and should not be doing this work. Not that he will ever hear that from me."

"Would thou like some help, Goodwife Binx?"

The woman looked at her like she had just uttered an oath.

"Oh no child! I can not ask thee to do that, not when ye are still grieving for thy sister…"

"Nay, I do not mind. It helps me to stay busy…"

Elizabeth's mother had said the same when her father died, and she proved it by throwing herself into the task of moving them both to Salem Village. But now she had no move to bury herself in, just her pain and misery. Goodwife Binx gave her a look of understanding, putting her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Aye, that it does. Well if thou has no objections, I shall not refuse thee."


	2. Historical Notes: History of Witchcraft

Author's Notes: This is just some information I have used (and will use further on) in the story to gain a historical understanding of the persecution of Witchcraft before and during the Colonial period.

I hope you find these facts informative and perhaps useful to you in your own writings...

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><p>Historical Notes: Witchcraft<p>

Witchcraft finds its origins in Paganism, when early christens allowed pagans to continue their form of worship in England, France, Germany and Italy. This came to an end when the Roman Catholic Church declared heretics like them were enemies of the church and God in a bid to consolidate their power.

In 1231 Pope Gregory IX created the Inquisition to expose and punish heresy, which caused attitudes towards the pagans and the witches to turn hostile.

In 1484 Pope Innocent VIII declared witchcraft a heresy, and the punishment for such acts against the church was death.

From the 14th through the 16th centuries an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people were executed for the crime of witchcraft.

The justification for such human devastation came from the Holy Bible, because they firmly believed what was written in the Bible was the word of God and thus it should be obeyed in all things.

In the Book of Exodus 22:18 - "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

Villagers were encouraged to conduct witch hunts to purge the Devil from their midst, and they used the hunts as a powerful tool to get rid of their imagined or real life enemies. And the authorities did very little to stop them.

"Witch hunts were not a group of people going from house to house knocking on people's doors and asking if there are any witches there. It usually was the local authorities encouraging local people toe afraid of one another and denounce each other as witches. It was a purging of the local community by itself, and a hysteria whipped up by people who should have known better who were in charge."

- Prof. Ronald Hutton, University of Bristol.

Once a person was accused of being a witch, hard evidence still needed to be presented to prove that they were in league with the Devil.

In 1486 the Malles Maleficarvm (The Witch's Hammer) was published by the church which offered a definition of witchcraft, as well as rules on how to locate, try and execute a witch. According to the book, one sure sign of witchcraft was the Devil's Mark or Witch's Teat upon a witch's body. This form of identification became very popular, due to the fact the accused had to be stripped in front of the accusers and be thoroughly examined after being shaved, even in the genital area.

"It is an old folk tradition based upon the idea of the Devil after making a pact with a witch leaving a special mark. This in turn is based on an even older tradition that witches have teats, through which they suckle the familiar spirits that serve them. And the idea is that if you can find this mark or these teats you have proved the person is a witch."

- Prof. Ronald Hutton, University of Bristol.

If a mark was found the accusers would then test that mark by stabbing it using a needle or pin. If the mark bled and caused pain there was no evidence to suggest that they were a witch, on the other hand if there was no blood drawn or no pain felt then it was unnatural and that it was likely to be a Witch's Mark.

Another popular method in the Middle Ages was 'Swimming the Witch' or the 'Ducking Stool'. the theory was that water was pure and would reject all evil, and that a witch would float in the pure water while an innocent would sink. The test always provided a victim.

The Malles Maleficarvm also encouraged the use of torture as a way to draw out a confession from a suspected witch.

"The best way to obtain a confession is to apply force, in the most brutal and practical terms. The most effective actual method used was a bit like having your arm twisted behind your back in the school playground, except it goes on for hours. Now the reason why this was used is that it is extremely painful, it is horrible."

- Prof. Ronald Hutton, University of Bristol.

Torturing suspected witches was justified by the law. English magistrates considered witchcraft a crime against the church and the state. When Henry VIII started the Reformation and created the Church of England, he became the head of the English Church. So when a witch turned their back upon the church and God, they also turned their back on the King which was treason and a capital offence.

Witch hunts continued through the 17th century, neighbours accusing neighbours and thousands of innocent lives were cut short by the waves of religious paranoia and persecution.


	3. Chapter 2

Well this is when the fun begins.

Please pardon the spells, I tried to write Thackery's as it was cast by Winifred...but the tape was old and it kept flickering when Winnie was chanting, so forgive me if it's wrong...and please forgive the artistic licence with Elizabeth's, I did my best!

BTW: I have finally heard a version of 'Come Little Children' I love, and it is a full version of it: Youtube - Kate Covington, Come Little Children...it is hautingly good, please have a listen!

Author's Note: _Italics_ are used for Sarah's Song 'Come Little Children' and the spells.

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><p>All Hallows Eve: 1693<p>

Elizabeth jerked awake in her bed, emerging quite violently from a nightmare about Ruth and the Sanderson witches. Dawn had broken only a few hours beforehand, yet people were already moving around outside as normal. She lay back down and looked at her mother still sleeping peacefully next to her, grateful her motions in the bed had not awoken her.

Her mother muttered in her sleep, uttering her father's name as she dreamt of happier times. Elizabeth often wished she could sleep as peacefully, but her imagination refused to let her find any such peace when darkness fell in Salem Village.

A loud cry outside her window caught her attention, and the sound of feet pounding on the hard autumn earth sounded like the hooves of a horse at full gallop. Elizabeth rose quietly from the bed, slipping her underskirt over her bloomers and pulling the ties of her corset into place over her under shirt. She opened the door and went down the stairs, and she started when the door flew open before poor Tituba could lay a hand on the latch and revealed a panting Elijah nearly fainting upon the floor.

"Elijah? What has happened, is someone ill?"

"The…witches, they cast…have taken…Emily…"

Elizabeth's blood froze within her veins. Tituba began to cross herself violently, muttering the Lord's Prayer under her breath.

"Must help…Thackery…"

She rushed to him, startling him with how fast she appeared before him.

"Thackery? Pray where is he?"

"Gone after…Emily. I must see thy Uncle, need the men…Elizabeth!"

She did not hear the rest of his cry, as she ran towards the woods as fast as her legs would carry her. The green hue was in the sky, just as it had been the day Ruth died which caused her to run all the faster. She would not let that fate happen to poor innocent Emily. The child was as dear to her as Ruth had been, and the child loved her just as dearly since she would never let Elizabeth leave the house without telling her so.

She entered the trees which separated Salem from the witches, her thoughts racing too quickly to consider the consequences of such a notion. She dodged between the trees, following the green hue which glowed brighter as she drew closer to the fiends' lair. She called out to Emily, praying that the child would hear her and respond somehow.

The earth beneath her feet suddenly disappeared and she was falling down a steep bank, head over heels as she went and landed heavily in a heap at the bottom. Thankfully there was something soft to break her fall, which she assumed to be a pile of leaves from the trees around her. Until it began to groan and move beneath her.

"Elizabeth? What are thou doing here?"

"Thackery! I came to help thee save-"

_Come little children, I'll take thee away…_

The song cut her off mid-sentence, and the pair shot to their feet with all previous thoughts abandoned. Just up ahead through the trees a small white figure was following a dark creature as it danced between the trees, heading towards the den of Satan that housed the Sanderson sisters.

_In to a land of enchantment…_

"Emily!"

Elizabeth ran towards the child, Thackery close upon her heels as they approached the Sanderson house in all its sinister glory. The door was open just long enough for them both to make out Emily entering the threshold, before the door slammed shut behind her.

Elizabeth stared at the house, taking in the same sight her poor Ruth must have done as the hags lured her to her death. Thackery took the lead, grabbing her hand and dragging her uncooperative feet towards the side of the house. He squeezed her hand, as if acknowledging her reluctance to get closer to the evil place. She squeezed back, silently sending her thanks.

They ducked under the window, just as it burst open and revealed Mary Sanderson's withered form peering out into the gloom. Thackery pushed her into the wall, covering her with his own form as they waited with bated breath for her to go back inside. Elizabeth did not dare breathe, putting her hands over her mouth in case she made a sound. They both sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord when Mary went back in and closed the shutter.

Elizabeth moved from the wall towards the waterwheel at the back of the house, stepping into the icy water which soaked her underskirt chilled her legs to the bone. She pointed to a window above the waterwheel that was open, and Thackery climbed up the slippery structure. She followed him up, and the pair silently entered the den of the witches.

They crawled to the edge of the sleeping platform and peered over the edge.

Emily was sat in a large chair near the centre of the room, where a huge cauldron was bubbling merrily over a roaring fire. The three old crones, Winifred, Mary and Sarah were dancing around Emily and the cauldron, giggling with glee and cooing at Emily as she just sat there quietly.

"Emily…"

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><p>Thackery turned his head as Elizabeth breathed his sister's name, the sound filled with such sorrow and fear that almost mirrored his own. He knew what she must be thinking about as she looked at Emily, seeing in her place her own sister Ruth.<p>

Sarah Sanderson looked in their direction suddenly, and he pressed himself against the wooden boards with Elizabeth following suit. Mary came in their direction, sniffing like a dog who had caught a scent as she came closer to their hiding place.

"I smell children!"

The oldest sister Winifred's voice floated up to them, a sound full of disdain for her younger sister's comment.

"Nay, and what does thou call that?"

"A child…"

Thackery peered over the boards and saw Mary sulking off in disgrace, as Winifred went back to whispering sweet nothings to her book. It opened of its own accord, and Winifred called her sisters over to the cauldron.

"Now to make it done, add a bit of thy own tongue…."

He heard Elizabeth shift ever so slightly as the crones bit their tongues and spat the flesh into the cauldron, which hissed as if in pleasure at the offering it received. He spared a glance at his companion who had covered her eyes at the display, and he wished he could spare her the sight of such foul arts.

Movement down below caused them both to look sharply down, as Winifred held out a spoonful of potion for Emily to drink. She pushed the spoon close to Emily's lips, encouraging her to taste the evil concoction so that they could steal her life force for their own. Thackery leapt to his feet with Elizabeth, their minds and voices as one.

"NO!"

The pair of them did not hesitate to jump below, starting the witches and alerting them to the fact they were not alone. Mary and Sarah went to grab them both, but Thackery went one way and Elizabeth went another. This caused the pair to be trapped in one end of the room, while the witches crashed into each other in another.

Mary recovered and pushed the cauldron towards them, Sarah joining in when it went back their way. With a silent look of understanding, the youths grabbed the lip of the boiling hot cauldron and pushed with all their strength. The cauldron swung violently towards the crones, coming off its hook and spilling the boiling potion at their feet.

"My potion!"

Thackery made a dash for Emily as Winifred cried over her spilled potion, praying that he could reach her quickly so Elizabeth and he could escape with her. A blinding pain went through his body like wildfire, causing him to cry out and be thrown into the ladders leading to the platform above.

"Thackery!"

He looked over in a daze to see Winifred approaching, her hands in front of her sparking small sparks of light while Mary and Sarah held a struggling Elizabeth in their arms.

"Winnie! Look!"

Mary pointed to Emily, who was glowing brightly in the chair. Thackery realised with horror that Emily must have drank some of the potion during the commotion, he tried to force his body to move but the pain was too much.

The sisters went to Emily, abandoning their hold of Elizabeth in their haste. He watched her rush at the witches, trying to pry them away from Emily. Winifred backhanded her across the room, where she landed heavily next to him. The sisters began to make slurping noises as they both struggled to their feet, Thackery relying on Elizabeth to help him to his feet.

The sounds stopped.

Emily's head drooped, the aura around her gone as the witches celebrated. Thackery started at the withered hand upon the armrest, realisation hitting him in the stomach like a fist. He remembered all too well what Ruth had looked like when she was found, and now his beloved sister had shared the same fate. Elizabeth was weeping silently next to him, her body shaking with the violent sobs as she supported him against the ladder.

"Winifred, thou are a mere spring of a girl!"

"Nay, I will be spring forever once I drain all the children of Salem!"

Thackery snapped.

"You hag! There is not enough children in the world to make thee young and beautiful!"

The celebrations stopped, and a youthful Mary and Sarah backed away slowly as a rejuvenated Winifred turned her furious gaze towards him. Her buck teeth flashed in the lamp light as she twisted her lip at the pair of youths who stared defiantly at her.

"Sisters…did you hear what he called you?"

Thackery opened his mouth to correct her, but Elizabeth beat him to it.

"He was addressing thee, you withered old crone!"

Winifred was livid, her eyes and her teeth flashing once more in the lamp light. She snapped her fingers, summoning her book to her hands. Thackery moved Elizabeth behind him, shielding her body with his own as Winifred flipped the pages of her spell book.

Elizabeth pressed her body against his back, the sensation causing him to jump as her body heat seeped through his thin clothes warming him in ways which were becoming familiar to him. He felt a part of him stir at the contact, something that wanted her even closer to him. The sensation was becoming more and more common to him when he spent time with her, at first when they were alone and more recently even when they were with company.

And it was becoming harder and harder to resist it.

He mentally slapped himself for thinking such things, especially when her life and his were in danger.

"The punishment should be fitting of the crime. Ah, I have it!"

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><p>Elizabeth was trembling with anger and fear, burying herself into Thackery's warm back as he stood facing the witches. He twitched as she did so, before reaching back and grasped her hand in a strong grip. Even amongst all the danger that surrounded them, he was looking out for her as always.<p>

"Come sisters!"

Winifred summoned her sisters to her side to look at the page she had chosen, the expression on her face was brimming with mirth.

"You see sisters, his fate is not to die. But to live forever with his guilt!"

The pair giggled at their sister's comment, eagerly following her lead as they approached the ladder where Thackery and she were standing. Elizabeth stood firm, straightening herself to look at the witches despite her fear. If Thackery could stand against them, then she could stand with him and offer her support.

"I will protect thee, Elizabeth."

Thackery looked at her with such tenderness that it took her breath away, and tears spilled from her eyes and she silently squeezed his hand in thanks. He turned away and glared at the witches, his expression hardening as they came closer and closer to the ladder.

"It is time! Prepare thyself Thackery Binx, for thou shall spend the rest of eternity wallowing in thy guilt!"

Thackery stood his ground and Elizabeth felt him tense as the sisters began their spell.

"As what, Winnie, as what?"

"Jump back!"

The floor shook as the witches jumped back, and Winifred began to chant the spell as she twisted her hands and body to the rhythm of her words:

_"Twist the bones and bend the back…"_

_"Itch-it-a-cop-it-a, Mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca."_

_"Trim him of his baby fat…"_

_"Itch-it-a-cop-it-a, Mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca."_

_"Give him fur black as black. Just…"_

_"…like…"_

_"…THIS!"_

The air came alive with some unseen force, and for a few moments nothing happened. Then the force slammed into them both, sending Thackery to his knees as he yelled in agony as his shape slowly changed in front of Elizabeth's eyes. The force slammed into them again, sending her to the floor in a heap as Thackery's cries became louder as the witches cackled in triumph.

Elizabeth watched as the boy she cared about turned into a black cat right before her eyes, her brain barely registering the witches anymore as she reached out for him when the transformation was over.

"Thackery?"

The cat looked at her with his sharp yellow eyes, something clicking within them as he leapt into her arms. Elizabeth cradled him to her chest, weeping into his fur as she whimpered his name over and over again. Thackery purred quietly as he rubbed against her, trying to comfort her even though he had just been cursed.

"What a pretty kitty!"

Sarah Sanderson came over and reached for Thackery, which caused Elizabeth to snap to attention and jump out of the way. Her anger came off her in waves, causing the youngest Sanderson to squeal in fear as she lashed out at her.

"Stay away from him!"

Mary and Sarah took a step back, Winifred just laughed at her.

"My my, I had almost forgotten about thee my dear!"

Elizabeth glared at her, holding Thackery close.

"Winnie, look at her eyes…Mary have you seen…"

"Why do they look familiar? Winnie?"

Winifred stared at her, her dark eyes glaring into Elizabeth's mismatched ones with interest.

"One blue, one green. Just like that child's a few years ago…"

Elizabeth snapped.

"You filthy hags! Thou was responsible for my sister's death!"

"Of course! Darling Ruth! Such a pretty little thing, was she not sisters? And her life force! Never have I tasted one so sweet, a pity it ran out so soon…"

Elizabeth dropped Thackery, who meowed in protest as she flew at Winifred. She managed to grab the witch's head and slapped her face with all her strength, before her sisters pulled her off kicking and screaming.

"Thou will pay for their deaths, witch! I swear to God, all of thee will pay!"

The sisters hissed as she said the Lord's name, and Winifred sent her flying across the room once more. She collided with the ladder and fell to the floor, almost squashing Thackery who was watching from under the first rung.

"For that Elizabeth Taylor, thou shall pay severely!"

Elizabeth raised herself upon her elbows as Winifred furiously flipped through her spell book, deciding upon a spell and without consulting her sisters began to chant.

"Jump back-"

A loud hiss echoed around the room and Thackery jumped in front of Elizabeth, heckles standing on edge and claws extended. Mary went to pick him up and he lashed out at her with his claws, causing her to squeal as he almost drew blood.

"Thou will not lay a hand upon her!"

Winifred laughed at him, causing him to hiss at her. He leapt at her, but a well aimed kick sent him flying into the wall behind Elizabeth.

"Foolish feline! Thou should know that we need to lift a finger to harm her, besides her curse is not yet finished!"

Elizabeth watched Mary shuffle back to Sarah, as Winifred unconsciously rubbed her inflamed cheek which made a small smile appear on her bloodied lips.

_"Twist the bones and bend the back…"_

_"Itch-it-a-cop-it-a, Mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca."_

_"Trim her of her baby fat…"_

_"Itch-it-a-cop-it-a, Mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca."_

_"Give her feathers white as white. Just…"_

_"…like…"_

_"…THIS!"_

The unseen force pulsed within the air once more, and Elizabeth felt a cold sensation travelling up her legs. The unseen force slammed into her causing the cold sensation to cover her entire body, and she cried out at the sharp pain it caused as her bones began to shift and change. Another pulse slammed into her and she screamed in agony as Winifred laughed, her smiling face the last thing she saw before the darkness claimed her.


	4. Chapter 3

Better late then never...

Enjoy

Skyla123 xxx

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><p>Thackery could only watch as Elizabeth screamed in agony as her body shifted shape, wishing with everything he had that he could exchange places with her. It tore him apart to see her like this, and he could do nothing to help her.<p>

Soon the transformation stopped, and where Elizabeth once laid was a snowy white owl. The small creature was still upon the floor, its tiny chest rising and falling softly beneath its feathers. The sisters laughed and danced together when the spell was done, congratulating themselves for their success that day. Thackery silently went to the sleeping creature, and gently nudged it with his nose.

"Elizabeth?"

The owl opened its eyes, shifting a little as it focused upon his face.

"Thackery?"

The reply was frail, but he did not care. Elizabeth raised a wing to her line of sight, struggling to her clawed feet as she looked at her new form. She was small compared to him, and where as he was as dark as night she was as pure as fresh snow. Her eyes had remained the same, the right a brilliant blue and the left a vibrant green which set her apart as a human and an owl. People had whispered that they were not natural, but Thackery had not cared because it was unique just like her.

A loud banging at the door caused the witches to stop their little dance.

Thackery could hear movement beyond the door, the stamping of boots upon the earth and the crackle of touches burning brightly in the gloom. He motioned to Elizabeth the window they had entered as humans, and she nodded in agreement. He watched her spread her wings and begin to beat them in the air, she began to rise slowly and she flew cautiously towards the window.

Thackery followed swiftly watching her fly out the window as he reached the ledge, he looked back at the witches frantic attempts to hide Emily by throwing a cloak over her withered remains. The crones tried to block the door, but as Sarah blurted out their deeds and Winifred strangled her the door gave way and the house was filled with angry townsmen. Thackery jumped from the window onto the waterwheel and then to the ground, landing perfectly on all fours.

"Thackery!"

He looked up and saw Elizabeth perched upon a branch of a tree which overlooked the font of the house, which was surrounded by townsmen and women all armed and bearing torches. He silently made his way over to the tree and put his new climbing skills to the test, and eventually sat next to Elizabeth and watched the scene unfold.

A yell came from inside the house, which made his father run inside the house. The witches were hauled out by the men, snarling and struggling against the vice like holds as their wrists were bound with rope. Thackery's father came out last carrying Emily, who was covered in a cloak just like Ruth had been a few years before. His mother did not need to be told what had happened, and she fell to the ground weeping as her husband made his way over to her.

Reverend Parris went to them, laying his hand upon Emily and began to softly pray for her young soul. Elizabeth's mother came too, holding Thackery's mother in her arms in comfort as she wept for her child. Eventually Parris took Emily from his father, taking her to the cart they had brought and laid her out quietly as the interrogation of the witches began.

Elizabeth shifted beside him, her eyes focused like his upon the cart. Thackery reached out hold her, but the sight of his paw caused him to stop mid way. He could not hold her, and a sharp pang of regret went through him that he had never had the courage to do it while he had the chance. His tail twitched in self loathing, cursing himself and the witches repeatedly in his mind before a cry from below shifted his attention back to the crowd.

"Thackery and Elizabeth are gone!"

Elijah was running to the crowd, who all turned to him in surprise as he made his way to Thackery's parents. They made him repeat his message, which caused both his and Elizabeth's mother to turn deathly pale in the torchlight. Eventually Elizabeth's mother found her tongue, and rounded upon the witches.

"Where are they? What have thou done with my daughter and Thackery?"

The witches stood upon their stools with the nooses around their necks, Mary and Sarah had the sense to look a little scared but Winifred just stood there smugly and refused to talk. The interrogation lasted many hours and each time they were asked where he and Elizabeth were they refused to answer. Eventually Thackery's father lost his patience with them.

"I will ask thee one last time, what have thou done with Thackery and Elizabeth?"

"Thackery and Elizabeth? Have thou any idea who he means, sisters?"

Mary and Sarah shook their heads, and Winifred shrugged her shoulders at his father.

"Answer ME!"

"I do not know, the cat has got my tongue and the owl flew off with my mind!"

Her spell book flew out of Reverend Parris's hands and landed right at Winifred's feet, opening to a page that caused her to cackle with menace.

"Speaking of the owl and the cat, here is a little spell for them to finish the rhyme…sisters, sing!"

Thackery tensed and Elizabeth shuffled closer to his side, his tail wrapping around her to keep her there with him.

_"Far apart thou shall be, enchanted lovers in thy tree…"_

_"Itch-it-a-cop-it-a, Mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca."_

_"Never together shall thee be, until return of witches three…"_

_"Itch-it-a-cop-it-a, Mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca."_

_"So fly away little owl, and listen to the kitty's howl!"_

A great wind howled through the trees, causing the people below to cry out in terror. Thackery tried to hold on to Elizabeth, who was digging her claws into the branch for all her worth. The unseen pulse pushed them apart, freezing Thackery to the spot while it ripped Elizabeth away from him.

"ELIZABETH!"

The wind swept her away higher and higher into the trees, until she was out of his sight. Thackery could only stare dumbstruck at the spot where she vanished, his heart ripping apart within his chest as she was taken from him. The crones had robbed him of both his sister and his beloved Elizabeth in the same day, and now he was alone listening to the cackles of the witches below.

They were going to pay.

In a flash of anger Thackery climbed down the tree, weaving his way between the legs of the townspeople to the witches. His thoughts were full of Emily and Elizabeth, and the desire to rip the hags' eyes out was boiling in his blood. As he got closer he could hear Winifred laughing about something, which made him pause near the tree the nooses were hanging from.

"Fools! All of you! My unholy book speaks to you all! On All Hallows Eve when the moon is round, a virgin will summon us from under the ground. We shall be back, and all the children of Salem will be mine!"

The signal was given by Thackery's father, and the stools were kicked from beneath the witches' feet.

It took them fifteen minutes to die, the hangman made sure of that. Thackery watched them struggle and kick as they slowly suffocated to death, their faces turning blue and then black as they died and went to their master in hell. They were left hanging there by the crowd, which escorted Emily's corpse back to Salem Village for burial.

Thackery tried to reach out to his father, but he was swiftly kicked away as he lead his mother back to the township. Elizabeth's mother stayed behind, watching the women swing in the wind from their ropes as they hung there.

"Thou can come out now, Thackery. I know it is thee."

The woman spoke quietly, but Thackery's new hearing picked up her words effortlessly. Even then he found it hard to believe them. The woman crouched down to the floor, patting the earth next to her in invitation. He slowly made his way to her, his eye constantly on the hags in case they were not quite dead yet.

"They cursed the pair of thee, did they not?"

"How did thy know?"

"It was not hard, I knew the moment I saw the pair of thee in that tree. No owl would sit next to a cat, and a cat can not cry out like thou can."

Widow Taylor pulled him onto her lap and stroked him, guilt tearing at him with each stroke. She was a strong woman who had suffered much hardship in her life, and now she was the one to comfort him after he had failed to protect her remaining daughter.

"Come, thou can not stay here alone tonight."

Thackery allowed her to carry him away, his eyes looking over her shoulder not at the witches who were now gone from the world. His eyes were fixed upon the moon, which reminded him of pure white feathers and an evil laugh that pierced his wounded heart.


	5. Historical Notes: Salem Village

Author's Note: This is the second set of fact I have used in the research and development of Ebony & Ivory, which gave me a clear idea of what kind of society Thackery and Elizabeth came from which was a great help in determining their characters during that period.

I hope you find the information as informative and useful as I did.

* * *

><p>Historical Notes: Puritans and Salem Village<p>

In 1629 King Charles I of England granted a religious splinter group, the Puritans, a charter to settle and govern an English colony in the Massachusetts Bay. Their desire was to create a new perfect society based upon the principles of the Bible, a place with no separation between church and state.

"Their goal was a kind of model community, what they called 'a city on a hill' that would be a light to people all over the world. We still have that notion of the US with us today, but it was very intense in those early years." Prof. Carol Karlsen, Harvard Divinity School.

Not everyone who crossed over to the colony however was a Puritan.

"Others leave because they have no land, they have no jobs because their lives in England are so difficult, that going to the edge of the known world and building a society out of nothing sounds better. One of the things that eventually produces a natural kind of tension in many New England communities, and indeed in many colonial communities, is you have people over there for different reasons." Prof. Jane Kamensky, Brandeis University.

The Puritans remained English citizens and like their countrymen, they were a community that very much believed that witches existed.

"You have to understand witchcraft particularly in light of their larger belief system, that this was central to their belief. It was not an odd side thing, but it was something they thought about regularly as they had to be worried about witches in their midst." Prof. Carol Karlsen, Harvard Divinity School.

"Satan was real. Satan and his forces were around us in an invisible world, and were always watching and were waiting for an opportunity to have an effect for evil upon the godly community. Always attempting to break down the godly way of life, and to discredit the godly community before the unbelieving world." David Goss, Executive Director, Beverly Historical Society.

In this highly charged atmosphere, Puritans also conducted witch hunts just as they had in England. The first witch trial in Massachusetts was not in Salem, but in Charlestown in 1648. A midwife and healer named Margaret Jones was accused of witchcraft, villagers believed she had a malignant touch that could cause deafness and nausea. Jones was supposed to be able to foretell the future and even had a Witch's Teat, because of this she was found guilty of witchcraft and hanged in 1648.

Other cases of witchcraft followed, but it would take 40 years before a witch trial would gather widespread public attention.

In 1688 four Boston children were presumably possessed by Goodwife Glover, the mother of their family's servant. Eventually the children were cured through prayer and fasting, Goodwife Glover was convicted of witchcraft and executed in 1688. The investigator was Cotton Mather, a prominent Boston minister. He described in detail the behaviour of the accused witch, and the symptoms of the possessed children in his widely circulated book: **M**emorable **P**rovidences.

The book is said to have had a profound effect on the people of Salem, and the unique circumstances surrounding Salem Village in 1692 made it particularly vulnerable to a witch hunt of its own.

Approximately 500 people lived in Salem Village, the farming community on the outskirts of Salem Town, a thriving seaport. Even though it was only six miles from the coast, Salem Village was considered a wilderness settlement.

"It is not a settled, civilised, sophisticated community. It is a community that is on the outskirts, and they are just hanging on by their finger nails." David Goss, Executive Director, Beverly Historical Society.

The Puritans lived in fear of the forest's dangers, the woods could easily conceal an Indian raid or the Devil himself. The Puritans had other worries, the charter granting them independence from the English Crown and the right to own land was revoked in 1684. Although the charter was restored five years later in 1689 when King James II was deposed, the political instability took its toll on Salem's residents. Further anxiety was apparent in everyday life because of their rigid daily religious practices.

"I think for people in the 21st century, Puritan belief would be an incredibly difficult religion to follow. Because it is a religion of endless striving and very uncertain reward." Prof. Jane Kamensky, Brandeis University.

The Puritans believed that every person's fate is predetermined by God, before the person is even born. They searched for clues to reveal whether they were members of the Elect and would go to Heaven, or be damned to Hell.

"You are constantly searching yourself for signs that you can not read. Does the fact that I am sitting in this particular way mean that I am predestined for Hell? Maybe. Does the fact that I am pious and doing all the things the minister tells me in church, mean that I have had an experience of indwelling grace and that I am one of God's chosen people? Maybe. How can we sense God's pleasure or displeasure? That anxiety goes right to the core of Puritanism." Prof. Jane Kamensky, Brandeis University.

Puritan women were expected to be silent, docile helpmates to their husbands and mothers to their children.

"Puritans had an ideal for women, that ideal had a number of characteristics. A woman was expected to be submissive to her husband…" Prof. Carol Karlsen, Harvard Divinity School.

"Him outside, She within. Him in public, She at home. Him speaking, She listening. Him preaching, She hearing." Prof. Jane Kamensky, Brandeis University.

Puritans believed that just by her very nature, a woman was more likely then a man to enlist in the Devil's service.

"Women were not allowed to be ministers, so they were more likely to join the Devil's cause and preach for his cause. There was two monks that presumed that women were naturally lustful, and that they were interested in sexual relations with the Devil and that was why they joined the Devil's forces. Other people argue that women wanted certain kinds of knowledge, like Eve in the Garden of Eden and that they constantly sought out things they were not supposed to know about, and that lead them to the Devil." Prof. Carol Karlsen, Harvard Divinity School.

The climate of suspicion that surrounded women was increased by the social dynamics of everyday life in Salem.

"There is a kind of hothouse atmosphere to these small communities, were you are what your neighbours say about you. And they are saying it back and forth in the same small towns, over and over again over many generations." Prof. Jane Kamensky, Brandeis University.

Bitter land disputes between families in Salem erupted frequently, villagers also resented living under the political domain of Salem Town. The conservative farmers in the village often fought with the more liberal merchants who dominated Salem Town.


	6. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Christmas is almost upon us and we are all feeling the pinch at the moment here in England, bargins here there and everywhere and the usual Christmas rush is driving us all mad regardless of our financial circumstances. Personally I am living off barely anything until my student grant comes through in the New Year, but I have managed to find the family presents and find the money to get my hair looking good for Christmas instead of the bird's nest it currently is.

Thackery and Elizabeth did not have to put up with such festive madness due to their religious and economic practices, and at this time of year I can not help but envy the Puritans and their simple way of celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Somewhere along the line we went a little off track and got caught up in the need to overspend on expensive gifts and eat excessive amounts of food, but the concept is still the same and we celebrate his birth with family and friends...with christmas dinner and presents!

Merry Christmas!

Skyla123

xxx

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><p>Salem Village - 1735<p>

The burying ground was quiet as Widow Taylor was finally laid to rest.

Thackery was sat in a tree just above the grave, watching the woman who had looked after him for nearly forty years be buried in the earth. Time had eased her pain over losing both her children, but she had never forgotten them.

He watched the Reverend say the last rights over the grave as the villagers mourned the loss of their sister, and to pray for her soul to be reunited with her lost daughters in Heaven. Thackery's tail twitched at that part, knowing full well that only one child would be waiting there for her while the other was still lost.

The last of the earth was scattered over the grave, and the villagers returned to their homes leaving Thackery alone with the dead. He did not mind, since it gave him a chance to think about all that had happened since Elizabeth's mother had taken him in.

The village had seen much turmoil after the Sanderson's were hanged, the people becoming paranoid that other witches could be at large within the community. The fear lead to a witch trial that had never been seen before in the colonies, and had sealed Salem Village's reputation as the home of witchcraft and death.

It had started in Reverend Parris's household.

The Reverend had never been the same since the hanging, and people had noted a darkness that had crept into his sermons. Betty and Abigail had also begun acting strangely, having visions and fits in the house after listening to Tituba's tales of magic from her homeland. Thackery had stayed out of their way as much as possible, staying close to Widow Taylor as the strange events became more frequent and stranger.

Eventually at his sister's insistence, Parris had sent for the doctor who diagnosed teenage high spirits as the cause of their excitement. Parris was not satisfied with this diagnosis, and sent for his friend who was also a doctor. His friend immediately diagnosed that they were possessed by a witch, and Parris sent for a witch finder and a judge to seek out the witch.

Betty and Abigail were soon joined by other girls in the town, who all at one point or another had listened to Tituba's tales. The girls named three women in the town as witches, one of which was Tituba herself. The first two women denied any involvement with the Devil, but Tituba confessed and named the two women along with six others as witches.

Thackery could not believe such a thing could happen, that they would buy such fantasies and be prepared to hang innocent people because of them. He knew the feeling of true magic and there was none at work in the village, but the accusations kept coming thick and fast till the jail was over flowing with women and men accused of witchcraft by the children. And during the trials, one girl from the village attempted something that made Thackery's heckles stand on end even forty years later.

She tried to brand Elizabeth as a whore and a witch.

Mary Brady had been infatuated with Thackery when he was still human, constantly trying to get his attention and being spiteful to Elizabeth when he was not around. Elizabeth had never cared for what she had said, but Mary was bitter and jealous even after they had both disappeared. So one day during the height of the trials she came to Parris in the church to 'confess' her secret knowledge about Elizabeth.

Thackery had watched her from under the front pew that Widow Taylor sat on that day, hiding behind her skirts so no one would see him and suspect her of witchcraft. Mary stood in front of Parris and began her speech loudly so the whole room stopped to listen to her.

"I must confess to thee sir about thy niece Elizabeth Taylor, for I saw her perform dark magic on Thackery Binx before he was taken by the Sanderson's!"

Parris had the sense to look angry at the accusation, especially since Elizabeth's mother had stopped breathing normally when Mary had said Elizabeth's name. Thackery was just struck dumb by the stupidity of it.

"What do ye mean by this, girl? My niece was no witch!"

"No! I tell thee she bewitched him when she came to Salem, for he never paid me the same attentions after she came. She seduced him with her magic and body, for he had sworn to me that he lo-"

A pew was violently pushed back at that statement. Thackery had to dig his claws into the wooden floor to stop himself from flying at the foolish wench, but his mother had heard enough and stormed towards the girl.

"Thou are a liar, Mary Brady! My son had no interest in thee, and he would never say such a thing to a silly child such as ye. He is dead and gone, child! And as for accusing poor Elizabeth who is also lying dead somewhere with him, thou must be touched in the head for saying such a thing!"

"It is true, Goodwife Binx! Elizabeth was a witch! She seduced him away from me, I saw her dancing naked in the woods chanting for him to fall in love with her and not with me-"

Widow Taylor had shot to her feet and before Thackery could register the movement, a loud slap echoed around the room.

"Hold thy tongue, you stupid child! My daughter was stolen from me by the Sanderson's and yet you dare to stand in the house of God and in your jealousy accuse her of such indecent things! "

Mary was on the floor holding her red cheek, tears pouring down her face as Widow Taylor glared at her with Parris and his mother beside her. The whole room was silent, the people quietly waiting for what would happen next. Thackery shifted position so not to be noticed by the judges who had a look of confusion upon their faces, and one eventually broke the silence.

"Parris, is what this child said true? Was thy niece a witch?"

Parris shot him a look that would have curdled milk.

"Nay, she was not. This is nothing more then petty jealousy on the girl's part."

"Aye, thou could never accept that my son did not like thee could you Mary? And thou was always jealous of Elizabeth…"

Mary tried to protest her innocence and the truth of her lies, but the judges dismissed her 'confession' and threw her out of the church. Widow Taylor was shaking in anger and was taken home by Parris, who was also livid with the events of that day. Thackery was beyond angry, and went into the woods to yell his frustrations at the trees.

It was not long afterwards that the girls accused the Governor's wife of being a witch, and this event signalled the beginning of the end of the trials. The people in the jail were issued with pardons and released, and pardons were given to all but two of the people who had been hung. The girls never had visions of witchcraft again, and poor Tituba was sold by Parris not long after the pardons were issued.

The village had been quiet after that, expanding slowly till it was almost the size of Salem Town. And it was no longer on the edge of the known world since the expansion of the colony had seen towns spring up further inland. Thackery had seen all this and yet had never aged a day, and all the while Widow Taylor grew older and finally died with him at her side.

It had been a good death, in her sleep as she dreamed of her girls. Thackery could not help but wish that Elizabeth could have been there, but thanks to Winifred and her sisters she was not. Parris had moved away with Betty and Abigail, leaving Widow Taylor alone in Salem for thirty years with her memories and the ghosts of her past for company.

Thackery looked at the evening sky and wondered as always where Elizabeth was, and if she was alright without him. He missed her and Emily deeply, so much it was a physical ache in his heart that never left him. He often wondered what Emily would have looked like if she was still alive, tormenting himself with images of his grown up sister playing with her own children.

But they were nothing compared to the images he thought about himself and Elizabeth.

Thackery had realised the moment she had been taken from him how much she meant to him, and it was that realisation that caused him so much pain. He could see her in his mind as she had looked the last time he saw her, and all he could think of was how beautiful she had looked to him. He often chided himself when his dreams went down a certain road that made him ashamed the next morning, but he preferred such dreams to the nightmares he often had of that day.

But the nightmares could not compare to the reality that his sister was dead, and the girl he loved was not by his side.

And it would remain that way for eternity…


	7. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2012 goes well for you all. 2011 was filled with both highs and lows for us all, on a global scale we saw revolutions in the Middle East and in Europe we saw the beginings of the financial crisis that is still to be resolved. A highlight for me last year was the Royal Wedding, a day off to watch William marry the lovely Katherine in a wonderful service that showed the world that England still knows how to be great.

I hope everyone had a great New Year and I will pray for your hangovers (for those of you old enough to have them) will go away and leave you in peace. And to those of you returning to school/college/work I hope the first day back goes smoothly for you, and while you are doing that I will be slaving away at my Uni work, so any luck you wish to send me will be greatly appreciated!

Happy 2012!

Skyla123

xxx

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><p><strong>The Township of Blair, Maryland - 1785<strong>

Elly Kedward was a witch.

Several children in the township had accused Elly of being a witch, and the townspeople found her guilty of the crime. Initially they intended to hang her, but after the horrors of the Salem witch trials hanging a witch had become synonymous with the loss of innocent life. So in the end the townsmen decided to banish her to the woods in the dead of winter.

The town was silent as Elly Kedward was blindfolded and tied to the cart, her frail old body shaking with cold as they took her away. The snow was falling fast and it was quickly turning the landscape into a sea of white, a sight that was familiar to a certain owl who watched the events with mismatched eyes.

Elizabeth took flight as the cart entered the woods, careful to stay out of the range of their muskets as they lead the cart further into the blizzard. The snow was difficult to fly in, but the cover it offered was sufficient reward for her efforts against it. The woods were still, too still for her liking as they passed through the trees to a clearing some miles from the township.

The frail old woman was hoisted from the cart and tied to the trunk of a thick elm tree, the blindfold was removed as the Reverend offered one last chance to save her soul from damnation. Elizabeth watched from a nearby tree, as the men trained their muskets on the woman as others checked the knots and pulled them tighter.

The gag was removed from her mouth and Elly opened her mouth to reply, but it was not her voice that echoed around the trees and scared the men almost out of their wits. The voice was not natural, and it carried the same kind of power and foreboding that Winifred Sanderson's had the night she had cursed Thackery and Elizabeth.

"REPENTANCE? HA! YOU THINK YOUR GOD HAS ANY SWAY OVER ME? I SWEAR TO YOU, I WILL NOT REST TILL YOU ARE ALL ROTTING IN HELL LIKE THE WHORES AND BASTARDS YOU REALLY ARE! HAHAHAHA!"

The men took to their heels and fled the clearing, the horse impatient to get away from the noise that had startled it. The voice continued to scream profanity and threats at their retreating forms, and Elizabeth watched it all from her tree out of curiosity and fear for the township. Eventually the voice faded away as the cold began to affect Elly's withered body, and she began to weakly pray in Latin to the Holy Virgin and to God.

Elizabeth flew down to the clearing, landing in the snow a few feet away from the exiled witch. Elly noticed her and stopped her prayers to look at the nocturnal creature in front of her. She looked fearful as she stared at Elizabeth's tiny form, as if waiting for her to pounce at her defenceless form bound to the tree.

After a while she gave up looking at Elizabeth, as if the thing she was searching for within her mismatched eyes was not there. She resumed her prayers as she fought to stay awake, but the battle was soon lost after several blizzards battered her body into submission. Elly Kedward closed her eyes, and never opened them again.

The Blair Witch was dead.

A particularly violent gust of snow swept into the clearing, Elizabeth had to hide her face under her wing to avoid being blinded by snow. When she finally lowered her wing again, a horrifying sight awaited her.

Elly Kedward's body was gone.

The ropes were still in place around the tree, the knots still tightly binding each other together. It was now hanging loosely from the tree trunk, and Elly's body was nowhere in sight. Elizabeth flew around the clearing several times, hardly believing what her eyes were telling her. But the truth would not be denied, the body was gone and there were no marks in the snow to tell her where or how the body was taken.

It was as if it was taken by magic…

xXxXx

**Township of Blair, Maryland. - 1786**

A year had passed since Elly Kedward had been banished, and as the townspeople feared a curse had settled upon them. All of Elly's young accusers and half the town's children had vanished into thin air, and the town was in uproar as fear and paranoia filled the people's hearts.

Elizabeth had watched from above as the townspeople fled in fear of the witch's curse. It was like being back in Salem again, except these pour souls did not have the woods to protect them. In fact it was the trees themselves that gave off the evil aura that smothered the town, as if the very earth itself was out to get them.

The Native tribes had also suffered the same plight as the town, their children had also been stolen and they knew it was not Elly Kedward that had taken them. Not they whispered it was a more ancient evil, one that had lived in the land long before Elizabeth's people had come to settle in this land.

Hecaitomix.

The name was hardly ever spoken, except by the tribes' most powerful shaman. It was outside his tepee that Elizabeth had learned about the spirit's existence, and what the children had been taken for. Unlike the Sanderson sisters, Hecaitomix did not want them for their life force. He wanted them for their pain, since it was the source of his power.

He tortured the children to the brink of death, violating their young bodies till their minds shattered and left them nothing but the pain. And like a leech, Hecaitomix fed off such feelings and it made him stronger and stronger with each child he took.

The Shaman had tried to warn the townspeople, but their panic blinded them to his warnings and they fled without searching for their missing children. For that was how cheep a child's life had become in Blair. The Shaman was waiting for someone the spirits had told him was coming to save them from Hecaitomix, a man who had lost his faith in God and had become a witch hunter to try and find his faith again.

Jonathan Prye.

He was a minister from Boston, Massachusetts. He came to the town in the winter as the last of the people were fleeing the town before the winter storms came upon them. Only the Reverend and the town Magistrate remained willingly in the town, the two residents in the town jail had no other choice but to remain with them. The woman within the jail made Elizabeth uneasy, for she had the same kind of dangerous atmosphere around her as Winifred Sanderson did. She was connected to the town's misfortune in some way, Elizabeth could feel it within her shrunken bones.

Jonathan had immediately set out for Elly Kedward's house, which was some distance from the main settlement. He had to go into the woods, and discovered the spirits that now wandered the pathways because of the Dark One, Hecaitomix.

Elizabeth followed him from the air, staying close to him but still keeping out of his line of sight. He found the house near nightfall, and it was slightly worse for wear after only a year of abandonment. But the aura the house was giving off was screaming for Elizabeth not to come any closer, but Jonathan ignored the same feeling and tried to enter the house.

He was just about to step inside when some unseen force pushed him violently away from the house, sending him flying into the dirt several feet away. He picked himself up looking as surprised as Elizabeth was, reaching for his blunderbuss when a hideous creature emerged from the dark bowels of the house.

It was a warped and twisted creature, naked as the day was long and covered in blood and sores. The face was contorted into a devilish grin, but Elizabeth knew who the face had once belonged to: Elly Kedward. Her corpse had been possessed by one of the Dark One's creatures, warping the old woman's frame into that of a demon sent straight from hell to torture the Native tribes and the people of Blair.

Elizabeth flew into the trees, hiding behind a branch for safety as the thing taunted Jonathan and sent him running from the house. He loudly vowed he would return and smite the creature in the Lord's name, and the thing merely laughed at him as it disappeared back into the house.

It took him some time but Jonathan Prye kept his word and destroyed the creature, along with its fellows that hid deeper within the woods and on the spiritual plane. Elizabeth did not follow him into Hecaitomix's lair, instead she watched as Elly's fallen apprentice prepared her dark ritual for the Dark One and ambushed Jonathan as he returned.

But Jonathan had recovered his lost faith on his journey, and using it and the sacred powers he had collected he defeated the Dark One and banished him back to his dimension. The children were returned to their families, and he returned to Boston to resume his position as Reverend to his faithful congregation.

Blair was abandoned for good not long after his departure.

* * *

><p><strong>Burkittsville, Maryland - 1865<strong>

The woods were stirring once again.

Elizabeth watched Robin Weaver play in the front yard of her grandmother's farm, and felt the soft call of the woods ring through the air. Robin stopped playing with her doll and stared into the woods, before putting her doll down and walked towards the trees. The child had always been sensitive to the supernatural, and often went into the woods to 'talk' with Elly Kedward's spirit.

The old witch's spirit had been released from its prison after Jonathan Prye' victory, but she was still cursed to wander the woods and never find peace as long as Hecaitomix still existed. Elizabeth had actually seen the old woman's ghost several times during her nocturnal hunting, but was reluctant to communicate with her given her past experiences with magic.

But the American Civil War had finally reached the Black Hills, and now Union and Confederate soldiers were busy fighting for their lives to keep the other from gaining a foothold in the town. After a few brief clashes just outside the town, the Confederates realised that the they had no chance unless General Lee sent them reinforcements. So the Union soldiers set up a logistics headquarters in the town, and the Confederates were forced to perform daylight raids on the local farms to sustain their troops as they waited for orders.

Elizabeth often visited their camp, and watched them struggle to feed and arm themselves. In fact some of them were walking around with no boots or stockings, and the smell of unwashed males often became so overpowering that Elizabeth had to fly away for some fresh air. But she would often return at nightfall to listen to their songs, and would quietly join in on occasions. But when the officers began their moral raising speeches, her good mood would disappear like the early morning mists.

She had often listened to the arguments of the men on both sides of the conflict, and they became so passionate about what they were fighting for that Elizabeth found it hard to take sides. The Union was convinced that the Confederates had illegally withdrawn from the United States, and they were fighting for the restoration of the Confederate states to the Union. But as the war drew on Elizabeth found another reason for the war surfacing, the end of Slavery in the Confederate states.

The Abolitionists in the northern cities had petitioned for the end of Slavery for years, and news of their movement had even reached Elizabeth's ears before the war had even begun. Most of the men in the Union army agreed with their views on Slavery and were keen to free the slaves trapped in the southern plantations, the rest were either uninterested or displeased with what they now had to do along with winning the war.

The Confederates however were fighting for their independence from the Union, especially the threat it posed to the slave trade that fuelled their cotton and tobacco industry. Slaves worked on the farms, planting the seeds, harvesting the crops and tending to the animals while their masters earned the money that paid for their food and clothes. The South had no form of heavy industry like the industrial north, so farming was its only source of income. And the Union blockade of the southern trade routes made the export of their goods to foreign countries impossible, and the South was slowly being starved into submission.

Slavery was a part of their lives, and it had been a part of Elizabeth's own life for a time as well. Tituba had been her uncle's slave for many years, and she had served Elizabeth herself many times while she had lived under her uncle's roof. And Tituba knew only too well her uncle could sell her another master if she displeased him in anyway, and as a result the woman had lived in constant fear of her uncle and for her life. Thackery had often said…

_Get up Soldier, I have need of you yet…_

Elizabeth nearly lost her feathers out of fright when Elly Kedward's voice reached her sensitive ears, echoing from the woods at the edge of the Weaver Farm. She took flight into the woods, flying a little way before spotting Robin crouched over a man lying on the ground. Elizabeth perched herself on a branch and watched the man slowly regain consciousness, while Robin chattered to him and offered to lead him to her Grandma so she could heal his wounds. She ran off ahead, leaving the man to recover his sword and follow her as quickly as his injuries would allow him.

As he passed under her tree, Elizabeth knew something was slightly off about him. He was a Union officer going by his uniform, but the company had pulled out of Burkittsville a few months earlier. And the Confederates had long abandoned the area to reinforce the regiments in the south, so there was no way he had come into contact with any enemy soldiers. Which left the question how he had received his wounds And when his head turned into the light, she realised what was wrong with him.

He was supposed to be dead.

She knew who he was, or rather who he had been before his death. Elizabeth had never learned his name, but he was the Lieutenant who was killed in the woods along with his men shortly before the Union army had left Burkittsville. His body was never recovered, but his journal had been sent to his fiancé along with what belongings they had found.

The situation reeked of magic, but of what kind remained to be determined.

The officer stayed in the Weaver home for several days while Widow Weaver tended to him. Robin hovered at his side for some time, before she left to do her chores around the farm. Elizabeth watched through the window as the man dreamt, muttering about spirits and monsters living in the woods. He barely moved a muscle as he healed, the deathly pallor slowly fading from his skin. She watched him for hours unblinking, grateful for once that her small form had some use for a change.

Then one day, Robin disappeared.

At first it was thought she was just out playing in the woods, so her Grandma was not worried at first. Elizabeth wondered when Elly Kedward had called out to the child, for she had heard nothing that day apart from what she thought was a sound made by the wind. But when Robin failed to return home that night, both of them knew instantly that something bad had happened to the child.

Something was stirring in the mists.

Widow Weaver enlisted the help of the Union officer in finding her wayward granddaughter, giving the man his new name: Lazarus. He offered no complaints and accepted the name, and he promised to go and search for Robin. Widow Weaver told him to start his search in Burkittsville, but before he left she warned him not to join the search party that was assembling in the town. Lazarus questioned her logic, but after she insisted he gave in and agreed to do as she asked.

Elizabeth followed him into the town, concealing herself in places where the townsfolk would not see her. He met with the search party and declined going with them to look for Robin, which earned him a few suspicious looks and questions before they departed without him. Eventually he set out for the woods, after meeting the Russian blind man that lived deep in the woods. Elizabeth followed him, determined to find out what was lurking in the Black Hills.

As she watched Lazarus regain his memories during his travels, the dark presence seemed to draw closer and closer. Every so often he was attacked by the ghosts of Union soldiers, who she suspected were the men who had died with him in the woods. Elizabeth knew of only one creature that was able to control numerous spirits at once, and it was an entity she hoped would never surface again in the Black Hills after Jonathan Prye defeated him all those years ago.

Hecaitomix had returned to the mortal realm.

Eventually Lazarus remembered the truth, and found Robin at the same place where he had lost his life: Coffin Rock. The child was possessed by Hecaitomix, and the blind Russian was his willing accomplice in the ritual that would bring him into this world. Elizabeth had kept her distance while she followed Lazarus through the woods, but she flew closer to observe what Hecaitomix was doing upon the rock.

She soon regretted that action.

Widow Weaver had been right when she had said the search party was doomed to die. The men had been stripped of their clothing and weapons, and were laid upon the rock in the form of a pentagram. They were tied together by their hands and feet, and had strange markings cut into their flesh wile their intestines were hanging from the deep gashes to their abdomens. Somehow the poor creatures were still alive, Hecaitomix was undoubtedly feeding off their pain somehow as they prayed to God for mercy.

Hecaitomix taunted Lazarus through Robin, stating it was too late for him to intervene and that his arrival as the new host of Robin's body was imminent. During his little speech another presence entered the area: Elly Kedward. She hovered some distance from the rock, searching for some thing near the river. Elizabeth flew over cautiously, and came to a halt in a tree which overlooked a pile of stones that was glowing with unnatural light.

Lazarus soon made his way over to the stones, lead by Elly's voice and he freed the trapped soul of a child that was the source of the stone's power. Elizabeth soon put two and two together as she noticed that the barrier around Coffin Rock had weakened as the child's spirit was released. She watched Lazarus go to each pile of stones and repeat the action, until finally the barrier fell and he was able to reach Robin and the strange potion that would transfer the Dark One's essence into her body. He took the potion and drank it himself, becoming the vessel in her stead. Robin was set free and told to run home, as Hecaitomix's essence burned his life force away as the creature cursed him for ruining his plans.

The blind Russian was also furious, and Hecaitomix transformed him into a demon and ordered him to kill the townspeople. Lazarus set out after him and he disappeared into the caves under Coffin Rock where he had been shot, and he did not emerge again till much later when he was mortally wounded once again. He passed away quietly in the woods, his body turning into dust and floating away in the wind.

Robin went home and the town sent out another search party for the missing men, who were found dead upon Coffin Rock since Hecaitomix's power was no longer sustaining them. The search party returned to town and brought help to retrieve the bodies, but by the time they got there it was too late.

The bodies had simply vanished into thin air.

Robin Weaver never forgot her adventure in the woods, and when her Grandmother died she took steps to protect the house. The bottles that clinked in the wind kept the spirits away, just as Elly Kedward told her they would. The war was soon confined to the pages of history, and Lazarus faded away from the town's memories till only Robin and Elizabeth remained who remembered him.

And the Black Hills were silent once more.


	8. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Well I'm finally back, after months of hard work at Uni and at home I have finally found time to post this chapter!

This will conclude Elizabeth's involvement with the Blair Witch, since the next significant event that happened was the arrival of Max and his family in Salem. The Black Flame Candle was lit not long afterwards, and as you well know Winifred swore that she and her sisters would return the Halloween night it was lit.

But so to will Elizabeth from her 300 year banishment.

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><p><strong>Burkittsville, Maryland - 1941<strong>

Elizabeth watched the house burn along with the grieving townspeople, the flames consuming the site where the hermit Rustin Parr had murdered their children. The man had died that morning, his neck broken by the hangman's noose as the grieving families praying his wicked soul was sent straight to hell.

The house had been made of wood, and with the dry weather that autumn it caught fire easily. The blaze was an impressive one, wiping out all traces of their children's suffering by Parr's hand. Eventually the townspeople left, leaving the charred remains to smoulder as they made their way back to the town before it got dark. Elizabeth made to fly away back to her home in the church roof, when she noticed a familiar figure watching the remains of the house.

Kyle Brody.

That child had suffered much during his time with Rustin Parr, forced by the hermit to stand and face the corner of the basement while he tortured and killed his friends from the town. Parr kept asking him the same question over and over:

'_Can you hear her? Can you hear the woman's voice?_'

Parr had kept taking children from the town until one day when he simply walked into the town and said he was finally finished with his work, the sheriff and his men went to investigate and they discovered Kyle and the remains of the children half buried in the ground.

The child was staring at the embers of the fire, his face lit up by the glow. Something was wrong about the child, magically wrong because Elly Kedward was staring at him as well. She was stood close to the child, studying his face for something. She drew back sharply when the child snapped his head up to stare at her, and Elizabeth took flight as the dark mass that suddenly surrounded the child came straight for her. The mass missed her and she stayed as far as she dared away from the possessed child, Elly Kedward did the same as the boy walked away towards the town.

Oh yes, something was definitely wrong with the boy.

Not so long after the incident, a woman arrived in Burkittsville claiming to be searching for her lost niece. But that was not the truth, the woman was looking for something far more dangerous than a missing relative.

Dr Elspeth Holiday was looking for the Blair Witch.

She made inquires around the town, before retiring back to her motel room to go over what she had learned. Elizabeth watched her from her home in the church, and also observed the silent visit of the possessed Kyle Brody to Elspeth's door. All was quiet after his visit, until Elspeth came out of her room armed with a strange device.

Creatures began emerging from the ground and she began shooting them like a trained marksman, making her way to the school. Then all of a sudden the woman and the monsters disappeared right in front of her eyes, the town was peaceful once more. Elizabeth was confused, for she knew what she saw but there was nothing there to prove it had happened. She took off and flew to Elspeth's room and looked through the window, and sure enough Elspeth was there on the bed looking like she was having a nightmare.

A sound to Elizabeth's left made her fly away to safety, and when she looked back she saw Elly Kedward taking a doll down from above the door and burning it in her hand. She disappeared into the room for a few moments, and a pulse of magic echoed in the air which made Elizabeth's blood run cold. The old woman disappeared not long afterwards, and Elizabeth could do nothing but wait until morning to see what had been done.

Elspeth emerged the next day, shaken but determined to investigate the local legends in the Burkittsville Historical Society. Eventually she went to visit Kyle Brody, but she went away after his mother started to become hysterical. Elizabeth was grateful, because the darkness around the boy had been growing darker as she spoke to him. And she doubted the Dark One would just sit by after she had escaped what ever magic he had tried to cast on her, no he would be even more determined to get rid of her now she had shown herself to be such a potential threat.

_Just like that old hag, Winifred Sanderson. May she burn in hell…_

Elspeth went into the woods not long after that, and found them to be an unforgiving place full of creatures who wanted her dead. Elizabeth was grateful for what ever reason it was that the creatures had no interest in her, and followed Elspeth along the darkened paths. Elspeth found her way to Coffin Rock, the place that still made Elizabeth's feathers stand on end with the sheer evil of the place. She heard Elspeth mutter that she wished the whole of her team could be there to analyse the place, which made Elizabeth wonder for a moment what she did for a living.

If she had said such things back in Salem when she was still human, people would have asked serious questions about what kind of life she lead. As it stood from what Elizabeth could understand, she was a sort of modern witch that practiced the arts of Science. As an owl she had learned much from listening in at the school over the centuries, and marvelled at how far mankind had come from when she had been learning her lessons with Thackery at the village school. Well she had been learning, Thackery often used the time to catch up on his sleep which had earned him a few harsh lectures from her Uncle. He would apologise and spend the rest of the morning trying not to fall asleep again, often with the aid of a sharp kick or poke from Elijah.

Elizabeth came to her senses as Elspeth moved away from the oppressive place, heading straight for the nearby ruins of Parr's home. The elements had not been kind to the structure, and Elspeth found nothing she could use at the site apart from the fact a ghostly child had stolen her handkerchief. The markings she wanted to see had been ruined by the burning and the caked on layers of soot and charcoal from the fire. And the fact that night fall was approaching also hastened her retreat from the ruins, and she made good time in returning to the outskirts of Burkittsville.

But the woods had not quite finished with her that day.

A totem creature attacked her as she approached the town's outskirts, and Elspeth used up her remaining supplies to destroy the unnatural monster of wood and magic. She retreated to the town and recovered the next day as she sent away for more supplies from her team, while she went over the evidence she had found in the woods.

The Sheriff was becoming suspicious of Elspeth's activates, and warned her to finish her business and leave as quickly as possible. She went to his deputy who gave her a little information she could work with to get the Sheriff out his office, for just long enough for her to take the drawings of the Parr crime scene. Her friend Christine arrived not long after the theft and Elspeth was re-supplied, and after a brief conversation she set out for the woods once again.

She met the native Shaman in his home on one of the wood's pathways, and he gave her a doll to travel to a dimension where Parr's house still stood with the evidence intact. Elspeth disappeared into the alternate world leaving Elizabeth behind to watch over the gateway, which closed the instant she went through trapping her within the Parr house. A few hours later Elspeth escaped the dimension with a better understanding of what had happened within the blood soaked walls, and half of a drawing Kyle Brody had dropped within the house's basement in his haste to escape.

It matched the other half of the drawing that his teacher had given Elspeth when she had asked about the dead children, and it showed in quite gruesome detail a girl lying disembowelled upon Coffin Rock. A hunch took Elspeth to the cursed place, and sure enough she found a bear with its stomach slashed open and its stuffing hanging out. She immediately made the connection between the bear and the drawing when she saw the child's name on its tag: Heather Brown.

The child was clearly a sensitive, just as Robin Weaver had been when the Dark One had tried to make her body his vessel. Elizabeth knew Hecaitomix was angry because his last two attempts to enter the human world had been thwarted, and because of these failures he was not inclined to take any unnecessary risks. Rustin Parr was used as a smokescreen, distracting everyone's attention away from Kyle and Heather while fuelling his dark energies with the children's pain.

Elspeth hurried back to the town, facing yet another totem and defeating it in record time. What happened next nearly made Elizabeth fall out of the tree she was hiding in, from the mists emerged the long dead Jonathan Prye looking just as he had the last time she saw him in Blair over a hundred and fifty five years before. Jonathan was disheartened to hear that the witch was still at large long after his own death, but he offered Elspeth what help he could and they went their separate ways once more. Not one to waste time, Elspeth went back to Coffin Rock and found the hidden journal in the sealed caves just as Jonathan had promised she would.

_Thou has always been a man of thy word, Jonathan Prye._

Elizabeth followed the doctor on her quick trip back to the shaman, who made the new doll that opened the path to the Dark One's dimension and created another that would drive out the evil possessing Kyle Brody. The boy was near the town church, and Elspeth managed to drive the Dark One out of him without hurting the child's soul. Kyle confessed about what he had done while he had been possessed, revealing the location the editor's dead body and that the Parson had killed him after Kyle had told him to.

The Parson tried to lead young Heather Brown into the woods so the Dark One could use her as a vessel, but Elspeth subdued him by whacking him on the head with a spade with a loud satisfying thump. The poor man crumpled to the floor in a heap, Elizabeth would have laughed if the situation was not so serious. Heather passed on Elly Kedward's message and Elspeth ran into the woods to avoid the Sheriff who witnessed her assaulting the Parson with the business end of the spade.

"Miss Elizabeth? Aren't you going to follow her?"

Elizabeth fell off her branch in shock.

She caught herself with her wings and landed on the ground. Heather Brown sat down in front of her, shielding her from view.

"Elly Kedward told ye, did she not child?"

"Yeah, she said you have been around here as long as she has. And that you watch over everyone who comes to fight the evil in the woods, Miss Elizabeth you have to watch Miss Elspeth. He's going to try and hurt her, just like the witches hurt you in Salem."

_I will be having words with that witch._

"Thank thee child, may God be with you."

She left Heather in the school yard with the unconscious Parson, heading into the woods after Elspeth. She found the woman unconscious on the path leading towards the trail to Coffin Rock, she flew down to her and checked for any injuries. A slight bump to the head was all she found, along with a sighting of the now elderly Robin Weaver emerging from the hidden path to her home. Elspeth stirred and spotted the old woman and gave chase, ignoring Elizabeth entirely which was a blessing for her as she flew after the elderly herb witch.

Robin Weaver welcomed Elspeth into her home, giving her the information she needed to fight Hecaitomix and told her the story of Lazarus, whose uniform she had recovered from the woods and brought back as a memento.

"An owl has been following you, my dear."

"An owl, during the day and at this time of year? Why would it do that?"

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Elizabeth was an owl so it did not count. At least that is what she told herself as she listened in from the tree outside the door.

"She is no ordinary owl, she followed Lazarus when he came to save me all those years ago. She is like a guardian angel, she keeps the Dark One away from you while you travel."

"Hold on, Jonathan Prye makes mention of an owl may times in his diaries. It followed him around as well, his friend the Shaman said she would bring him good luck if he let her follow him. Could this be the same owl?"

"Oh yes, she is much older then me. In fact the spirits say she had been here for centuries, watching time pass by until her curse is lifted."

"She was cursed? How is that possible, Elly Kedward said-"

"Elly did not curse her, another group of witches cursed her to live as an owl. But she is with you and that is really all that matters, now go and save the child. He has suffered for far too long, just like poor Elizabeth outside."

The said Elizabeth took that as her queue to disappear into the trees.

Elspeth returned to town, only to be confronted by an angry mob of townsfolk who were being stirred up by the Sheriff. Thankfully her friend who Elspeth called the Stranger turned up and saved her, telling the Sheriff to back off or else he would have the 'FBI' on his case. With the redundant threats of the Sheriff ringing in the air the pair entered the woods, discussing Elspeth's findings and their next course of action to get rid of Hecaitomix once and for all.

Later that afternoon they were ready.

They entered the Dark One's realm using the gate near the ruins of Rustin Parr's house, they went through with their weapons at the ready. Elizabeth stayed behind to wait for them, anxiously pulling at her feathers as time went on.

Eventually Elspeth came running back through the gate holding Bleeding Boy in her arms, as the Stranger kept on shooting at whatever was perusing them. The sudden drop in temperature and increase of shadows gave away the identity of their pursuer, as Hecaitomix emerged from his dimension in all his dark glory. The trap Elspeth had set for him came to life and he screamed in fury as the portal opened and he was sucked into it, and the three of them watched in silence as the last of his dark energy was swept away to the void Elspeth had banished him to.

Elizabeth flew over to a tree near Bleeding Boy, the child was somehow still clinging on to life as his breath became shallower and shallower in the cold evening air. She could hear the sluggish beating of his young heart, and his eyes briefly opened and he looked directly at the branch where Elizabeth had perched herself. He smiled weakly at her before he closed his eyes for the final time, Elspeth moved over and placed a talisman around his neck as his young spirit slipped away from its mortal shell.

"You're free now, go back to your tribe. They're waiting for you."

The Stranger said very little as they dug the small boy a grave, facing him in the direction of his people so he could begin his long walk to the afterlife. Elspeth placed a bracelet in with him as an offering, while the Stranger produced a knife from somewhere on his person and placed it in the boy's belt. They covered him with earth and said a small prayer over his grave, marking it with a circle of stones to keep the wild animals away from desecrating his resting place.

"That owl is watching us."

"Yes, she has been following me ever since I arrived here. I was told she is a sort of guardian for those who fight Hecaitomix."

At the mention of the Dark One's name Elizabeth's eyes flickered over to Elspeth's trap, and what she saw in the middle of her intricate circle made her fall out of her tree in horror. She screeched loudly which caught the pair's attention as she flew over to the trap, and circled a pile of stones that had definitely **not** been there before Hecaitomix had left his dimension.

"Hey Stranger, did you put those stones there?"

"No."

"Strange, there is another doll here that leads to another dimension. Hecaitomix must have put it there so he could avoid being sent to the void I had created."

"Leave it Doc, we won. Hecaitomix is not coming back here for a long time, and if he does Spookhouse will be waiting for him."

Elspeth was reluctant to leave it at that, but the Stranger persuaded her that it was dangerous to just jump into an unknown dimension with Hecaitomix waiting on the other side. So the pair left the town later that afternoon, and Elizabeth was left feeling drained and relieved that the souls of the children had been avenged.

The town never quite forgot the horrors of that summer, even fifty years later when a group of college students came to make a documentary about the Blair Witch. The story was meant to be a warning about what they were getting themselves into, but if anything the story of Rustin Parr spurred them on and the three of them went into the woods to find the Blair Witch.

Heather, Josh and Michael never returned from the Black Hills.

Hecaitomix had returned.


	9. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Well as the old saying goes...ask and ye shall receive. Here is the next chapter of Ebony and Ivory for you to enjoy!

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><p><strong>Salem - 1993<strong>

After the Sanderson sisters had been executed, the people of Salem had decided to leave their house in the woods to rot. The contents of the house was left intact since no one dared to mess with anything that had once been used by the witches, in fear of Winifred's curse falling down upon them. So the Sanderson House remained in the woods for centuries undisturbed, which for Thackery was a blessing since he wished to mourn in peace as he guarded the house from intruders.

Eventually the town began to expand as the population began to rise, which brought the Sanderson house closer and closer to civilisation once again. Children began to explore the outskirts of the Sanderson grounds, some even climbing over the wall to try and reach the house. Thackery began to gain a reputation during those years, since every child who attempted to reach the house ended up covered in scratches and crying about a demonic black cat.

Halloween was the worst time, children emboldened by the tales of the Sanderson witches would try and re-enact some of the tale just outside the gates. Thackery's blood would boil during those displays; it was bad enough that he had to live with those memories for decades on end without having to watch the children warp the tale with their own romantic versions. What angered him the most was the gradual removal of Elizabeth and Joy from the tale, their very existence erased from the history books as if they never existed at all.

A particular historian from the early 1800's was the one to blame; Dr Regulus White came to Salem to write a book about the tales of New England. Naturally the townsfolk shared with him the tale of Thackery and Elizabeth, which had barely interested him until he had heard about the part where they had been cursed by Winifred. He had gone back to his room at the inn and had begun to write up the furious notes he had taken during the telling, and at first Thackery had been happy that their story was going to be shared as a warning to others.

But then he saw the book a few years later.

Dr White had erased Elizabeth and Joy from their story, instead portraying Thackery and Emily as the sole victims of the Sandersons and their evil magic. Thackery had been furious as he read the tale over the Mayor's shoulder one morning; White had cheapened the whole event and made it into a tragic horror story to frighten children into staying in their beds at night. Thackery sorely wished he had a human body that day, because he longed to wrap his hands around White's scrawny little neck and squeeze the living daylights out of him.

But claws had their uses as well.

The bookshop owner awoke the next morning to discover that his entire collection of White's book had been shredded almost beyond all recognition, some volumes ending up in the fireplace where they smouldered in the embers.

White never returned to Salem after he had heard the news.

Another place Thackery watched over was the graves of Joy and Emily, buried side by side since they were united in the manner of their passing. Two little angels stolen before their time, by a black hearted crone and her immature sisters, whom Thackery prayed were rotting in hellfire and tortured by the Devil himself. He would sit between them and tell them about his day, and would then sit with them quietly for a long time before returning to the Sanderson house for his vigil. For decades he continued this routine as the world changed around him, horse drawn carriages were replaced by cars and women exchanged dresses for breeches. Still he remained the same; his fur remained as black as night and his body remained young. Thackery's soul however was growing weary, ageing with the passing of time as the wound within his heart festered.

The problem with eternity was that you had a lot of time to think.

And think he did, often about the past and the people that were now dust beneath the earth. But then his mind would drift to the one person he knew was still alive, yet so far from him that she may as well be dead. Thoughts of Elizabeth became a double edged sword, bringing him both joy and pain at the same time. Remembering her as she was, with her beautiful mismatched eyes and her loving manner with Emily, filled him with such longing that he felt as if he would die for want of seeing her.

And when he did not think of her, he dreamed of her instead.

Sleeping had become a state he both longed for and dreaded, since Elizabeth was always there when he closed his eyes waiting for him. Sometimes he dreamed about the past, but more often than not he dreamed of taking all the missed opportunities he had foolishly squandered during their time together. Theirs had been a society where intimacies that the modern world embraced as normal, had been seen as inappropriate. Holding Elizabeth in his arms would have earned them both a good hiding, and she would have been seen as a sinful woman for 'encouraging' him to do so.

But just as it had been back then, Thackery was free to do what he liked in his dreams.

When they were young, holding her in his arms beneath their tree had always been a temptation he had struggled to resist, especially when she had taken off her cap on a hot day to cool herself in the shade of the leaves. In his dreams, instead of sitting on his hands and praying she would not notice him breathing in her unique scent, he allowed himself to pick up a strand of her golden brown hair and run it through his fingers. Mismatched eyes would look at him in surprise as he sat closer to her, before he leaned in and buried his nose in her hair and breathed in deeply.

But as they grew older, his dreams had drastically changed in their tone.

Instead of holding her, now he was dreaming of kissing her. Elizabeth's hair was free as he kissed her, and she had knocked his hat off so she could thread her fingers in his hair. All too soon he was towering over her as she laid down on the grass, devouring her mouth as his hands began to explore the rest of her body. Layers of clothing seemed to disappear under his wandering hands, and he could almost feel he soft skin under the thin layers she had on. Elizabeth's hands started to explore his own body, gently touching his chest through his thin undershirt as her hands started to go lower and lower down his torso.

Her hands slipped beneath his shirt just as he began to gently caress her breasts, and all semblance of restraint was completely lost.

Light, innocent touches became something completely different, as hands wandered to places they dared not to before. Roles were reversed as Thackery was forced to the ground as Elizabeth straddled him, rocking herself on his rapidly stirring lap as she kissed him under the curtain of her sweet smelling hair. Pleasure was mixed with pain as she raked her nails down his chest, marking him as he began rocking back against her. They would pull apart once they ran out of air, while Thackery would content himself kissing and marking Elizabeth's neck while she caught her breath. She would then whisper something in his ear, but he could never remember what it was. All he knew was that it made his heart feel as if it was about to explode, and he would roll them back over and begin rocking against her harder than before, with her moans of pleasure sounding like music to his ears.

Thackery would close his eyes to savour the moment, but when he opened them again he was back in the modern world without Elizabeth. The Sanderson house would stand there as a physical reminder of what had been done to them, and the wooden walls of the house would gain another set of scratches as Thackery let out his anger against the only remaining remnant of the Sanderson sisters.

He would never give the house the satisfaction of being a silent witness to his tears.

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><p><strong>Burkittsville, Maryland – 1993<strong>

If living in Burkittsville had taught Elizabeth one thing during her 300 year long stay, is that she should always be wary when magic began to manifest itself in the air.

Burkittsville itself was peaceful. The Dark One had yet to return from the place he had been banished to, and the townspeople had eventually come to terms with the horrific events that had taken place in 1941. Elly Kedward was also silent; since thankfully nobody had been foolish enough to wander into places where they had no business going. But something elsewhere was beginning to stir; Elizabeth could feel it in her feathers.

So during the spring and summer of 1993, Elizabeth found herself on constant alert for anything supernatural. She listened in on families watching the news, and read newspapers over the shoulders of men in the park. But nothing leapt out at her as being the cause of the magical restlessness.

But when Autumn came, a worrying sign manifested itself.

Elizabeth had never been able to leave the area around the Black Hills or Burkittsville, due to Winifred Sanderson's curse. But one fall morning, Elizabeth was lost in thought about the past and unknowingly at the time flew over the boundary. She barely realised what had happened until she was suddenly found herself flying over the sea, a sight she had not seen since her time in Salem Town.

A complex mixture of joy and anxiety flared within her tiny feathered chest. Elizabeth cried out in glee as she flew down to smell the sea spray, and relished the sea breeze that ruffled her feathers. But when her joy finally subsided, the implications of the event crashed down on her like a rogue wave. Winifred's magic was weakening, which could only have happened for one of two reason: either the curse was coming to its natural end, or someone was finally in place to light the Black Flame Candle in Salem.

And since no one had been alerted to the coming of the end of days, Elizabeth was forced to conclude that it was the latter option.

Elizabeth screeched loudly in frustration, startling some nearby seagulls that flew away in fear. She landed on a dry rock near the seashore, and kicked a loose stone with her tiny clawed feet. She dearly wished Thackery was there with her, since he alone was the only other remaining soul on earth that knew what was going to happen once that candle was lit. Elizabeth kicked another stone, in a vain attempt to release her frustration.

At the back of her mind, a tiny part of her was somewhat glad that the candle was finally going to be lit. Since she would then be able to return to Salem, and somehow see Thackery once again after three hundred lonely years without him. It had only taken a month after she was banished to realise how important he was to her, and how idiotic she had been not to tell him of her feelings. But back then she had truly been afraid that he would reject her, only to say after she had laid her heart out bare to him that he only thought of her as a friend.

It was a foolish fear, but to a young girl like she had been at the time, it had seemed very real to her.

Elizabeth had tried to gain his attention a few times back then, but she had been smart enough to never take a leaf out of the other girls' books. They had all been after Thackery, and had done things that had baffled both him and Elizabeth. Fights had broken out between the factions, and Elizabeth made sure to stay well clear of them all, since they were all out to get rid of her.

As Thackery's friend, she had spent a lot of time with him. Or rather, Thackery spent a lot of time hiding in her bedroom from the mass of scheming girls. But the other girls were convinced she was trying to keep them away from Thackery on purpose, which she was but they failed to realise it was at Thackery's often frantic request.

And being the selfless person that she was, Elizabeth put her own happiness to one side to help her beloved Thackery. But when they were alone, she often wished privately to herself that Thackery would **look** at her. Not as a friend, but as a boy who was looking at the girl he liked. And there were a few occasions when she wished he would do other things…but she would mentally slap herself afterwards for thinking such thoughts about her friend.

But now she knew better…she had been in love.

And if she was truly honest with herself, she still was in love with him despite the three hundred year absence. She wanted to see him again so badly, but the only way that would happen is if Winifred Sanderson and her sisters were resurrected by the Black Flame Candle. Could she honestly put the children of Salem in danger, just to see Thackery once again?

It was a question that kept Elizabeth and her conscience awake for two days straight.

* * *

><p><strong>Salem - 1993<strong>

Miles away from the pondering owl and the quietly grieving cat, a young teen got out of the family car and looked over the place that was to be his new home.

_What a dump!_

Max had never been one for change, so the move from L.A to Salem had been a complete shock to his senses. The place was so quiet that he seriously thought he had moved to a funeral home, but his parents were in love with the 'peace and quiet' so he was stuck living here with no way out until he became eighteen.

Danny, his annoying little sister, wasn't thrilled by the move either. It had been the first time the pair had agreed on anything since the move had been announced, since she was reluctant to leave all her friends behind in L.A just like Max. But neither of their parents had paid any notice to their children, and instead dragged them across the country without so much as a 'by your leave' and marooned them in Salem.

Max just hoped that there was something _interesting_ about the town; otherwise he was going to die of boredom.

**AN: Ah Max, if only you knew what I have in store for you…*evil cackle***


	10. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Since All Hallows Eve is approaching fast, I am writing like a girl possessed to get a certain scene just right for your reading pleasure and my professional satisfaction. I will not spoil it for you too much, but all I will say it is the reunion between a certain young Master Binx and his beloved Mistress Taylor... ^_^

Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong>All Hallows Eve 1993 – Mid Afternoon<strong>

"Poor Thackery Binx. Neither his father, his mother, nor anyone else ever knew what became of him those 300 years ago. And so the Sanderson Sisters were hanged by the Salem town's folk."

If Max was completely honest with himself, he would admit that he actually found living in Salem _almost _interesting. The town was a bit too quiet for him after the bright lights and frantic pace of L.A, but it also had its compensations since it was full of the kind of history kids like him loved to learn about.

That and it was the place where Alison lived.

"Now, there are those who say that on Halloween night…a black cat still guards the old Sanderson house, warning off anyone who might make the witches come back to life…"

But as he sat in the history classroom and listened to the teacher tell them the legend of the Sanderson Sisters, Max found himself being almost bored to tears. It was nothing like reading the Crucible, now that was a play Max could follow with interest. Reading that one book had taught him much more about the people from that period than any of his teachers combined, despite the fact it was a simple work of fiction based upon real events. But the Sanderson Sisters lacked that kind of character, they were witches therefore they were bad, no complex backgrounds leading to that point or actual insights to their characters…nothing. It was clear from the frequent interruptions that the kids in his class had heard the legend many times before, since they kept on finishing the teacher's sentences before the woman even had a chance to speak. The only parts Max even bothered to listen to were when Alison would recite a part of the legend, but the moment she stopped his interest would disappear like magic.

Max snorted to himself at the unintentional pun.

"Are we boring you, Mr Dennison?"

The teen cursed his luck that the batty old teacher would choose that _exact_ moment to pass by his seat, her witch's hat falling askew as she frowned down at him. The entire class was looking at him, including Alison, which forced Max to answer in his typical defines mechanism when he was put on the spot.

"Just a little. I mean…witches coming back from the dead? Give me a break!"

"Aha. We seem to have a sceptic in our midst. Mr Dennison, would you care to share…your Californian, laid back, tie-dyed point of view?"

If the old bat hadn't been standing right in front of him, Max would have sworn as his words came back to haunt him. But since she had asked him to share the Californian point of view on Halloween, Max would oblige her.

But he wouldn't hold back any punches.

"Okay. Granted that the people here in Salem are all into these black cats and witches and stuff-"

"Stuff?"

"Fine. But most people here know that Halloween was invented by the candy companies, just to earn some more money."

As he had predicted, most of the diehard fans of the holiday began to argue against his statement. The teacher herself looked as if Max had just kicked her dog, instead of offering a counter point to her well established beliefs. To be honest, Max didn't really care what they thought. But he did start to care when Alison spoke up to defend her town's favourite holiday.

"It just so happens that Halloween is based on the ancient feast of All Hallows Eve. It's the one night of the year when the spirits of the dead can return to earth."

"Well said, Allison."

"Yeah, I'll give you that about it being based on All Hallows Eve. But my point was that _Halloween_ was invented by the candy companies, as an excuse to sell a large amount of sweets to children. They turned the feast into a sugary binge night, with kids running around in costumes getting hyper on sugar and e-numbers. There is no remembrance of the dead, there are no candles lit in their memory and there is definitely no prayers said at their graves. All we have are kids running around screaming their heads off, adults dressing up to drink themselves silly at grown up Halloween parties, and bullies stealing candy off little kids."

The room was so quiet once Max finished speaking, you could have heard a pin drop down the hall. He risked a glance at Alison, and much to his relief she didn't look as if she wanted to kill him. In fact, Max dared to think that she looked a little bit impressed. If she was then maybe, just maybe, he had a chance to talk to her and maybe find out if she was seeing anyone…

The teacher however was another story.

"Anything else you wish to add, Mr Dennison?"

_No I think I made my point…_

"No ma'am."

The school bell never sounded as wonderful as it did in that moment.

"Right class, I want each of you to have a safe and happy Halloween. And remember to be vigilant, for the Sanderson Sisters may be lurking about tonight…"

Later on that night, Max would reflect upon those words with the cynical benefit of hindsight as he ran for his life from three crazy crones on broomsticks in order to follow a cat and an owl.

_If only that old bat knew…_

* * *

><p><strong>All Hallows Eve 1993 – Salem<strong>

_The wind will blow…_

Elizabeth was startled out of her sleep when Emily's voice spoke to her. She was perched in a tree just outside modern Salem, unable to enter the town due to a barrier blocking her path. Winifred had clearly planned for every eventuality, curse her eyes, and nothing would let her pass until the candle was lit.

But at that moment, the barrier was the least of Elizabeth's worries.

"Emily?"

_The wind will blow…_

As if to punctuate her words, the wind picked up and blew through the autumn trees. Leaves scattered and fell to earth, and the smell of something magical filled the air. It was magic quite unlike the Sanderson's or Elly Kedward's , in the way it made Elizabeth feel at ease instead of alert. If she had to describe it, she could almost swear it was white magic of the kind her mother knew once long ago.

Only they never called it that, in fear of the ducking stool and the hangman's rope.

Elizabeth was no witch, but she knew some handy 'spells' for protection and the home. Her mother had insisted she learned them, for when she was married with a home of her own in the town.

"_Thou shall need them, my girl…if young Master Binx ever gathers his courage to ask ye…"_

Over the last three hundred years, Elizabeth often wondered what would have happened if Thackery had asked her to marry him. Would they have wed? Would they have had children together? Would she have felt as the luckiest woman in the colonies to be Goodwife Binx?

At least to the last question, she knew the answer at least: Yes, she would have.

_Blood is thicker than Water…_

"_But Love is thicker than Blood._ Ye sound as if thou knowest the answers, Emily…"

The wind blew even harder through the trees, nearly blowing Elizabeth off her branch. It was as if the wind was attacking Winifred's barrier, for she could swear it was getting weaker as the sun set. Elizabeth took to the skies and tried to enter the town, only to meet a much weaker force trying to keep her out this time.

Her tiny body went numb as Winifred's laugh echoed in the air, and the barrier shattered since it was no longer needed to keep her out. She flew like the devil to the Sanderson House, ignoring the changes that had happened to her town in her haste.

Such an event could only mean one thing…

_Thackery…the Candle!_

* * *

><p><strong>All Hallows Eve 1993 – Early Evening<strong>

Something was stirring in the wind.

Thackery could feel it in his whiskers, something magical was beginning to come alive this Halloween night. His vigil over the house was not due to start for at least another hour, since most of the children were still eating their dinners. All too soon his peace and quiet would be shattered by noisy children, and adults who had drunk far too much wine singing songs off key. It was on this night that he wished that some of the traditions from his time had been kept, simply because they did not make as much noise as the modern ones.

His mother had been a devout woman her entire life, and had brought up her children to do the same. But every year on All Hallows Eve she would light a candle for the dead, and would visit old friends in the graveyard to tend to their graves. Goodwife Taylor had also done something similar in her own household, but far out of sight of her brother in law and his tale bearing nieces. Thackery and Elizabeth were often brought along to help tend the graves, which was followed by a short celebration at his home. He and Elizabeth would be allowed some of his mother's cider, and they would drink to the memory of the dead. And while the adults talked of old times passed, he would sit with Elizabeth and listen to her talk of her life in Salem Town.

Yes, those All Hallows Eve traditions were the ones he missed most.

In this time, no such remembrance was performed by most of the town. The art was dying out and there were few still alive who remembered it at all, so Thackery was resigned to watch another part of his life fade into myth and legend.

But on this night, he felt closer to his past than ever before.

It was as if he was seeing two different times at once. When he looked one way, he could still see modern Salem preparing for Halloween. Yet when he looked in the opposite direction, he was looking at Salem Village preparing to spend the evening praying with their loved ones for deliverance from the Devil. The images began to merge, women in caps and skirts walked side by side with witches and vampires on the street. Men in wide brimmed hats put the shutters on the windows, while the women put up glowing pumpkins and cobwebs on the doorways.

_Thackery…the Candle…_

Elizabeth's voice was as clear as bell to his mind, and he obeyed her warning without thinking. Thackery fled the graveyard and went to the Sanderson House, only to find his worst nightmare happening right in front of his eyes. Some idiotic boy was poised to light the candle, with two girls stood there watching him. Thackery could feel his body moving, but the world seemed to move slowly as the boy lit the wick.

"NOO!"

The candle was lit.

* * *

><p><strong>All Hallows Eve 1993 – The Sanderson House Museum<strong>

"_What do you say we meet the old crones?"_

In the course of his young life, Max could count twelve occasions that he did something so incredibly stupid that even he thought he was an idiot.

And now he had just committed his thirteenth.

Trying to impress Alison was one thing, but lighting a candle that should **never** be lit under any circumstances just to get a reaction from her was not helping his case. Danny was practically in tears as he lit it, frightened despite her protests to the contrary. And the last reason came in the form of an angry black cat that nearly ripped his head off with his claws.

But all those reasons put together were nothing compared to the sight of the three Sanderson Sisters standing in the doorway of their former home, very much alive and ready to do the devil's work.

_Yeah…I __**really **__shouldn't have done that…_


	11. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **And so it begins my dear readers, Winifred, Mary and Sarah had risen from the dead and now have their sights set on the children of Salem...and their fates lie in the hands of an Owl and a Cat who have a score to settle with our bucked toothed witch and her sisters. As history has often taught us: _Revenge is a dish best served cold..._

* * *

><p><strong>All Hallows Eve 1993 - The Sanderson House Museum<strong>

_Thou must be jesting…they turned that den of Satan into a Museum?_

If Elizabeth had hands instead of wings, she would have gladly hunted down the people responsible and strangled them. The site of Joy and Emily's murders had become a place of entertainment, when it should have been allowed to rot away. But no, they had made a shrine of it. No one had made a shrine of Rustin Parr's house in Burkittsville, that house had been raised to the ground. But then again the man had not been feared as a witch, thus they had no reservations about burning his house and his belongings to ashes.

_What I would not give for an angry mob right now…_

She flew over the gates and entered the trees, trying not to remember the last time she had passed through them. Then she had been human and had Thackery by her side, and dear Emily had still be alive and well. Now she flew on white wings and was alone, and poor sweet Emily was nothing more than tiny white bones in the cemetery.

If Owls could cry, Elizabeth would have been blinded by tears by now.

But her tears were forgotten when she saw the familiar silhouettes of the three women she had hoped to never see again. Winifred Sanderson was nothing more than smoke at that point, but she was rapidly becoming solid as was her sisters. The earth itself seamed to was rid of them, for the smoke soon stopped rising from the ground where they were hung and the three headed for the house. Elizabeth hovered there numb for a few moments, before shaking herself out of the past and back into the present.

The Sanderson Sisters were back. And Elizabeth was going to scratch out the eyes of the idiot who had lit that God-be- damned candle.

She flew through the loft window and perched herself in the rafters, at watched as three children scurried for a place to hide. Judging by the lighter he was hastily putting in his pocket, the boy was the one responsible for lighting the candle. Elizabeth made a note of his face; since she had to be sure she was mutilating the right person for this whole mess. The smallest girl hid behind a counter near the door, while the elder hid herself behind the door. The boy hid himself right near Winifred's spell book, and if the situation had not been so serious at that point Elizabeth would have fallen from the rafters at his sheer stupidity.

_Foolish boy, could thou have found a more inappropriate hiding place if ye tried?_

"Ah! We're home!"

Winifred's voice had not changed in the three hundred years since her death, and it still sent shivers down Elizabeth's tiny spine. But she was not alone in her feelings; all the children were reacting to her voice in their own way. The girls' faces were as white as sheets, while the boy was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Oh, sweet revenge. Do you see sisters, my curse worked perfectly!"

"That's because thou are perfect, Winnie."

Mary and Winifred cackled to themselves as they looked around the house, while Sarah fished about the rafters for something. Elizabeth paid her little attention, since she was mostly harmless unless she used her singing voice. No, she kept her eyes on Winifred and Mary. The plump sister was about as harmless as Sarah, but she could smell children like a blood hound. And there were three children hiding in the building, just waiting for her to smell them and have Winifred steal their life-force.

And no child no matter how foolish deserved such a fate.

"My lucky rat tail! Just where I left it!"

_It cannot have been that lucky for ye, Sarah…thou were still hanged._

"But who lit the Black Flame Candle?"

Winifred went towards it as if to inspect it, and it was in that moment that Elizabeth spotted a dark shape move away into a corner. She quietly moved along the beam to get a better look, because she had to confirm with her eyes what the frantic beating of her tiny heart was telling her she saw. The dark shape shifted a little, and a long dark tail was revealed along with a pair of eyes Elizabeth would have known anywhere.

_Thackery…_

After three hundred years apart, only a single flap of her wings was keeping her from his side. As much as her heart and mind were screaming at her to go to him, she remained in place in the rafters in order to keep an eye on Winifred and the others. She dug her tiny claws in to keep herself in place, and tore her eyes away from Thackery and back to Winifred who had spotted her spell book.

"Wake up! Wake up sleepy head. Oh I missed you…Did you miss me too?"

The way she was cooing at it, one would have thought her spell book was a baby in a cradle. But in a strange way it made sense, since Winifred loved that book as if it was her child. Thankfully it was still kept behind glass at that moment in time, or Elizabeth would have had to stomach her stroking and petting it.

"Winnie…I smell children."

One small sentence from Mary changed the whole atmosphere of the house in a second, as the three children realised what kind of trouble they had landed themselves in. Thackery was on the move again, and Elizabeth was not far behind him. She moved along the rafters along with the witches, and waited on bated breath to see which one Mary had smelled.

"It's a little girl. Seven, maybe Eight and a half."

"Ooh, let's play with her!"

Sarah began to sing and the three crowded in front of the counter, trying to cage in the youngest child. Elizabeth snapped her beak in anger, as they once again tried to hurt one so small she could barely defend herself.

"Come out, my dear. We will not hurt thee."

"We love children!"

The girl screamed and stood right up, and it was the look on Winifred's face that made Elizabeth see red. It was the same smile that had graced her face when she spoke of Joy, and the same satisfied display of her hideous bucked teeth when she had drained Emily of life right before her eyes. And now it appeared for this child.

Elizabeth unfolded her wings and opened her beak to-

"Hey!"

The boy had jumped up from his hiding place, and it was the look on his face that made Elizabeth pause on her beam. For a moment in the candlelight, he looked like Thackery did that fateful night long ago. Anger was shining in his eyes, and his body was preparing to move at a moment's notice if the three women tried anything to hurt the girl in their hands.

"Let go of my little sister."

_Thou art a brave one, boy…foolish, but brave I'll give ye that…_

"Roast him, Winnie!"

"No, I wanna play with him!"

Winifred settled on her tried and tested method of zapping him with energy, which sent the boy flying to the floor in a twitching heap. But she was not done with him yet, and once more the boy was zapped with energy that sent him flying into the wall face first.

"I haven't lost my touch, sisters! See?"

"Max!"

The girl made a move towards her brother, Max, but Mary held her back as Winifred charged her energy again. And as much as Elizabeth thought the boy deserved it, she could not let him get hurt again with his sister watching.

She made her move.

* * *

><p>To Thackery it was like history was repeating itself once again, only now this Max boy had to watch the witches try and use his own little sister for their hellish means. Thackery had kept to the shadows after initially trying to keep Max from lighting the candle, waiting for the right moment to strike. His muscles were poised and ready to attack once Winifred zapped the boy again, but something else got there first with a deafening screech.<p>

It was small, white and had the most beautiful pair of miss-matched eyes in the world.

_Elizabeth…_

For three hundred years, Thackery had imagined their reunion in many different ways. But none of those day dreams had imagined a situation like this, when neither of them had the time to acknowledge the other was even there. He felt cheated that Elizabeth had to devote her energies into saving a foolish boy, and all she could give him was a look as she flew by to help him.

_Curse thine eyes, boy…_

Elizabeth swooped down and scratched Winifred across the eyes, blood flying as they tore into her skin. The ginger witch screamed like a banshee and her hands flew to her injured eyes, while the boy Max slumped to the floor in a heap. Elizabeth made another run at Sarah, who screamed and ran for cover, while the other girl hit her over the head with a saucepan as she passed.

Mary was left alone to face the wrath of an angry white owl, which came down upon her like hawk. The young girl was quickly released as Mary was sent flying backwards with a face full of talons, while Winifred had somehow recovered and tried to grab the young girl again.

_Oh no ye don't, you twisted hag!_

Thackery jumped onto Winifred's shoulder and swiped her with his claws, which sent the woman spinning away from the children in a vain attempt to shake him off. In the confusion Thackery somehow saw Elizabeth fly down and perch herself on the winded boy's knee, while his sister tried to help him sit up.

"Do not just sit there, boy! Take thy sister and run!"

"Whoa! The owl just talked!"

Max quickly learned that if Elizabeth told you to do something, you had better do it or face the consequences. His enlightenment came at the price of having his hand clawed by her talons, which made him yelp.

"If ye can make such stupid observation, then thou can clearly think straight enough to stand! Move thyself, Max!"

Elizabeth flew ahead out of the door, the girls following close behind her. Max on the other hand climbed up to the loft, and drew out a lighter just as Thackery was thrown off Winifred's shoulder and into the shadows once again.

"Hey!"

All eyes in the house turned to the boy.

"You don't mess with the great and powerful Max. You now must suffer the consequences. I summon the burning rain of death!"

The witches looked at each other in confusion, and Thackery just watched in some kind shock as they boy just _stood_ there instead of _running away_.

_What are thou doing, Max? Do ye really want to die?_

The boy lit the lighter in his hand, which made the witches gasp and step back as they thought he had magic like them. But it took Thackery less than a second to realise what the boy had planned, and he had to smile in spite of himself. Max held the flame beneath the sprinkler system, and the fire alarm went off as water poured down from the ceiling.

And the sight it caused made Thackery laugh so hard his stomach began to hurt.

All three women began running around in circles screaming about the 'burning rain of death' descending from the roof. Eventually Winifred managed to compose herself long enough to drag her sisters to some kind of shelter, while Max dropped down from the loft and made for the door. Unfortunately his little plan made the floor very slippery and he slipped and landed heavily on his back, and while he was winded Thackery moved from his hiding place and climbed on his chest.

"Nice going, Max…"

The boy looked just as surprised to hear him speak like he had with Elizabeth.

"You can talk too?"

"Yeah, no kidding. Now, get the spell book!"

In the end Thackery had to resort to the same method Elizabeth used to make him move and one quick swipe to the face later, the boy was smashing the glass case and retrieving the spell book.

"Ah! My book!"

Winifred was held back by her sisters long enough for Max to get out of the house, and Thackery followed him as he headed in the direction of his sister's voice.

_Elizabeth…_

He could see her sat on a branch on a tree nearby, nervously clicking her beak until she saw him following Max. There were a thousand things Thackery wanted to say to her, a thousand confessions of his love for her he burned to say. He wanted nothing more than to climb that tree and sit next to her for the rest of eternity, but fate and the Sanderson Sisters had other plans in mind. And now the pair was charged with keeping these three foolish children safe from Winifred and her sisters, less they suffered the same fate as Emily and Joy.

"Elizabeth! We have her spell book! Take them to the cemetery!"

"Okay! This way, child! Keep up!"

And with that the five of them disappeared into the undergrowth, with Winifred's screams echoing in the night behind them.


	12. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: 31st October 2012**

Happy All Hallows Eve everyone!

To those of you living on the East Coast of America right now, I offer my sympathy for what you guys are going through after Super Storm Sandy decided to drop by and cause mischeif. Watching the BBC coverage of the stom has been both facinating and horrifying at the same time, and has remined me why we shouldn't mess with Mother Nature...

Moving on to a slightly related topic, I would like to breifly rant about the recent purchase (as in yesterday's purchase) by the Walt Disney Company of Lucusarts. Now I am proud to say that I am a Star Wars Nerd, ever since my Father introduced me to the Original Trilogy when I was four years old, and this anoucement along with the plans to create another trilogy made my blood run cold this morning when I caught up with the news this morning.

Now don't get me wrong, I **Love** Disney and it's movies...but I don't want them in charge of my favourte Sci-Fi franchise!

The fact that George Lucus sold out his compay is not that much of a suprise to me, but the fact he sold it out to Disney is what made me hope that I was dreaming when I read the anouncement this morning. But sadly all my attempts to wake up have failed, so I must conclude that I am in fact awake and this has really happened...

*takes a deep breath*

All I will say is this: If they dare to 'Disneyfy' (Its a made up word, live with it!) the francise, I will personally go to George Lucus's house and burn the place to the ground for daring to sell out my favourite Sci-Fi characters for more money...which he is not exactly running out of now is he?

Anyway, back to Ebony and Ivory...I hope you enjoy the chapter and don't get sick from eating way too many Halloween sweets...oh, and Thackery and Elizabeth finally have their 'talk'...sort of...

Happy Halloween!

**Author's Note: 2nd November 2012**

It has taken the eagle eyes of some of you to notice that I made an idiotic mistake in this chapter, since I subconciously typed the wrong name for Elizabeth's little sister.

There is a perfectly good reason for this: I am an Idiot.

Typing six stories at the same time is not beneficial to my sanity, and because the only time I have to actually sit down and type them is when the rest of you are fast asleep in your beds, mistakes often happen when I am suffering from a lack of decent sleep. Thus Ruth's name became Joy...why I have no idea, maybe I've been watching way too much BONES lately...

Anyway, thanks for pointing it out oh Eagle Eyed reviewers...I will try to prevent such silliness from happening in the future, and I willl start by kicking the living daylights out of my Beta Reader (you KNOW who you are, and I know where you LIVE)

Now where did I put that Freddy Krueger glove?

* * *

><p><em>I'm dreaming…please tell me I'm dreaming…<em>

It was like Max was in a nightmare that for the life of him he couldn't get out of, no matter how much he tried. There he was with the girl he liked, running for his life with his baby sister after a white snowy owl with a black cat right on their heels. And to top it all off, he had a witch's spell book wrapped in human skin under his arm.

_Note to self: __**Never**__ light a forbidden candle to impress a girl again!_

Danni was getting tired; he could see her struggling next to him as they ran. He tucked the book under his other arm and grabbed her hand, tugging her along as they turned yet another corner and arrived in the oldest part of Salem. The owl flew to a pair of gates half way down the street and landed on top of them, and waited for them to catch up.

"Oh, come on. It's a cemetery!"

"It's hallowed ground. Witches can't step foot here."

_On second thoughts…the graveyard sounds like a __**good**__ idea._

Alison and Danni both looked at him in shock after the cat started talking, but after having both an owl and the cat talk to him before Max wasn't disturbed by it anymore. Especially after seeing three old hags return from the dead, and then play with him like he was a rag doll with their powers. He gave both girls a shrug of his shoulders.

"So, he talks…"

The gate was a little but rusty, but thankfully it still opened without much of a fuss. The cat slipped through the bars, and lead Danni and Alison further in while Max was left behind to secure the gate. The female owl watched him from her perch on the opposite gate, her eyes never leaving him for a moment as he pulled the heavy gates together. He knew that owls did not have the ability to blink like humans did, but Max secretly wished she was look away or something because her gaze was making him uncomfortable.

It was almost as if the bird was scolding him with her eyes.

"What?"

"Thou should stay close to thy sister this night. Once marked by the Sanderson's, no child is safe."

"Oh, really? And what's make you an authority on witches?"

Max had barely uttered the words, when his face was suddenly mere centimetres from a seriously ticked off owl's razor sharp beak.

"How does thou think I came to be an owl? By wishing upon a star? Winifred Sanderson cursed me into this form three hundred years ago. I have seen with mine own eyes what those hags do to children like thy sister. _That_ is what makes me an expert on witches."

The owl clicked her beak angrily and brushed past him, earning Max a mouthful of feathers as she went. He stood there for a few moments trying to understand why he felt like a little kid being scolded by his mother, especially since the tongue lashing had come from a creature several sizes smaller than him.

"Are thou coming or not?"

Max blinked and spotted the owl hovering a few feet away, and like the obedient child he sometimes was after he got a good scolding he quickly caught up to her. The unlikely pair soon caught up with the others, just as the cat lead them to a set of old gravestones.

"Over here! I want to show you something. It'll give you an idea of what we're up against."

The three humans stopped a short distance away from an old grave, while the owl and the cat both rested on it to be at their eye level. It may just have been Max's imagination, but he could have sworn the cat moved closer to the owl on the headstone. The owl just pointed her wing at the name inscribed on the stone, and Max managed to make out the name on the weathered stone.

"William Butcherson…lost soul?"

"Billy Butcherson was Winifred's lover. But she found him sporting with her sister Sarah, so she poisoned him and sew his mouth shut with a dull needle. So he could not tell her secrets even in death. Winifred was always the jealous type."

"Wait…you're Thackery Binx!"

Max was on the verge of opening his mouth to protest against the idea, but a look from the owl made him shut it again. He was in no hurry to have her be angry at him again.

"So the legends are true…amazing."

"Yes, well come along…I want to show you something else."

"Hold on. If you're the guy from the legend, then who is she?"

The owl it seemed did not appreciate being pointed at, and Max quickly drew back his finger to avoid having it bitten off. Danni giggled at her brother's misfortune, and held out an arm for the owl to perch on. Max was a little put out that the owl would let the girls pet her, while all he got was either her talons or her beak.

_That is so unfair…_

* * *

><p>It had been a long time since someone had petted Elizabeth in such a gentle manner. The children of Burkittsville had often tried to stroke her when she had watched them play in the playing grounds, since their innocent laughter often reminded her of better days long ago. The older ones were wary of her, and thus petted her gently. But the younger were more enthusiastic in their petting, and innocently tugged her feathers more often than not.<p>

But Elizabeth had put up with it just to see their faces light up with joy.

"Hi, I'm Danni. I'm sorry about Max, he's an idiot. What's your name?"

Elizabeth chuckled at the sight of Max's face when he was called an idiot, since it looked as if he had suddenly sucked on a lemon.

"Greetings young Danni, mine name is Elizabeth, and thou does not need to apologise for thy brother."

"Elizabeth? Huh, I don't remember anyone mentioning you in the legend."

The enchanted girl just smiled and flapped her wings, so that she hovered over the young girl's head.

"I was forgotten, which is as it should be. Now come, Thackery has something to show ye. You can ask thy questions later."

"Okay…where to Binx?"

Thackery lead the children to another set of graves, one of which Elizabeth knew very well. She flew ahead of them and landed in front of Joy's tiny gravestone, and gently ran a feather over her name which was still visible after hundreds of years of weathering.

**Here Lie The Mortal Remains **

**Of**

**Ruth Temperance Taylor**

**Beloved Daughter and Sister**

**Taken From This World By The Devil, Yet Reunited With God In Heaven**

_My dearly beloved Ruth…oh how I have missed thee, my little sister…_

The stone next to her was new to Elizabeth, and was carved in a similar fashion to her sister's own marker. It was a sad sight to see Emily and Ruth reunited only in death, but it gave her some comfort to see them both together at peace. They were in good condition compared to the rest of the stones, and a suspicious look at Thackery answered her unspoken question. He sat beside her as the children struggled to climb over a difficult bit of terrain, and wrapped his tail around her in a comforting way.

"Thank ye, Thackery…for taking care of her. I'm glad she was not alone…"

"I know…I could not leave them…"

Silence reigned until the children finally reached the headstones, as the two elder siblings mourned the loss of their younger sisters. The pair reluctantly parted and went to sit on their sister's graves, and prepared to tell the story of that fateful night 300 years ago. Elizabeth let them get settled before she began her tale.

"Thou does not yet comprehend what thou have done, by releasing those three she-devils from Hell. No child is safe as long as they roam the earth. Their life-force is what sustains those withered old crones, and Winifred will do anything to get it. She will lie, she will cheat, and she will use every dark art at her disposal to get Danni and the other children of Salem."

"And if ye have any doubts as to their intentions, look at the gravestones of Ruth and Emily. There is a reason why so many of these graves belong to children, and that reason is Winifred and her sisters. And the stones you can see are merely the bodies we were able to find, there are many more that are lost."

Elizabeth was both saddened and glad to see that the message was starting to be received by the children, if their suddenly pale faces were anything to go by as they looked around the graveyard.

_Brace thyselves young ones, this nightmare has barely begun…_

* * *

><p>As Max sat there and listened to a first-hand account of the Sanderson Sisters legend, as told by two of the people who had actually been there that night, he came to a horrible realisation: He was a complete and total idiot. Two little girls had died because of those old crones, and now he had set those bloodthirsty hags on his own little sister. Max counted himself as extremely lucky that Winifred hadn't turned him into an animal, since it seemed that was what she did to older kids who tried to defend their younger siblings.<p>

Elizabeth and Thackery hadn't been as fortunate.

_How do you cope with being an animal for three hundred years?_

Elizabeth it seemed had the rough end of the deal when Winifred banished her from Salem, since she somehow came to be involved with another witch called Elly something. Thackery was just as shocked as they were at that little bit of information she casually threw out into the open, and Max had never seen a cat move so fast in his life when Binx went to her and demanded to know what had happened. It was in that short moment that Max learned something new about the girl-turned-owl: she had a very short fuse.

"Thackery Binx! Thou has no right to command things of me!"

"Really? And when was thou going to tell me that thou had been forced to fight _another_ witch?"

"I would have told thee if thou had given me a chance to take a breath! Thou are acting like an overprotective fool!"

Danni shifted closer to Max as the pair began to argue in earnest, and in an uncharacteristic move on his part he pulled her close and gave her a one armed hug as the pair bickered like an old married couple. It was almost a good thing neither of them were human, because he could happily imagine Elizabeth strangling Thackery at that point in the argument. It was a comical thought that almost cheered Max up. But what really made Max's night seem a little better was when Alison also backed away, and grabbed Max's arm to keep her balance on the uneven ground. And since Max had been raised to be a gentleman, he kindly let her use his arm for as long as she wanted.

Now he just needed to get rid of the blush on his face, and everything would be perfect.

"Listen to thyself! You are disgracing your good name in front of these children! What would Emily think of ye if she were here now?"

"And what would Ruth think if thee if she knew her elder sister recklessly went after witches, with no thought as to her own safety!"

"What did ye want me to do, Thackery? Sit at home and knit?"

"YES! If it kept ye safe, that is _exactly_ what I would want thee to do!"

"Thackery, in case it has escaped thy notice…I HAVE NO HANDS!"

The silence that followed that last statement was deafening, to the point that Max could actually hear the faint rumblings of music coming from the town hall several blocks away. Thackery looked as if Elizabeth had just slapped him across the face, while Elizabeth's tiny chest looked as if she had been running a marathon.

"Thou think I don't know that? Do ye seriously think that I have not thought about that night for the last three hundred years? Does thou think I do not regret that I could not spare thee from this fate?"

"Good God! Ye have nothing to be sorry for, Thackery! I went with thee willingly to save Emily, and I failed to save her just as much as thee. I failed her like I failed my beloved Ruth…"

"Elizabeth…"

The owl shook her head and flew away from her sister's grave, landing a tree some distance away to have some time alone. Thackery seemed resigned to letting her have some space, and after an uncomfortable cough to clear his throat he continued the tale.

"Because of me, my little sister's life was stolen. For years I waited for my life to end, so I could be reunited with the ones I loved."

Max did not fail to notice the look Thackery shot at Elizabeth in her tree before he continued.

_He loves her…_

"But Winifred's curse of immortality kept both me and Elizabeth alive. Then one day I figured out what to do with my eternal life. I had failed Emily, but I would not fail again. When Winifred and her sisters returned, I'd be there to stop them."

"_We _would be there to stop them."

All eyes went to Elizabeth who landed back on top of her sister's headstone.

"Thou were not the only one to figure out what to do with the life Winifred cursed us to have, Thackery Binx. I spent many a night cursing those hags to Hell for what they did to us, until I realised that cursing would not grant me the vengeance I could feel burning in my chest. I swore upon my sister's memory that I would pay Winifred back for what she did to us, and thou knows that I keep my word. Now stop staring at me and continue the story."

Thackery snapped his mouth shut and did as he was told, much to Max's amusement until Alison elbowed him in the gut for smiling.

"So for three centuries I guarded the house on All Hallows Eve, when I knew some air head virgin might light that candle."

"Nice going, air head!"

All eyes went to Max, which made him feel even guiltier than he already was.

"Hey, look I'm sorry, okay?"

"Sorry does not make Winifred and her sisters go away, Max. Thou were warned and better warned not to light that candle, and yet ye did it anyway."

"I'm sorry! How many times do you want me to say it, Elizabeth?"

"We do not want ye to say sorry, you foolish boy! I would be more satisfied if ye did something to set things right!"

_Argh! Why do three hundred year old girls have to be right all the time?_

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Ye can start by keeping that spell book away from Winifred. If she gets her hands on it, then the whole township is doomed."

"Elizabeth, we are talking about three ancient hags versus the twentieth century. Seriously, how bad can it be?"

Both animals looked at each other for a moment before replying in unison.

"**Bad.**"

Thankfully for Max, Alison decided to try and look in the spell book just as the pair were about to lecture him some more. Their attention immediately went to her, and Elizabeth actually landed on top of the book to keep it closed from Alison's curious gaze.

"Stay out of there!"

"Why?"

"It holds Winifred's most dangerous spells. She must not get it back."

"Thackery speaks the truth, Alison. That foul book contains the spells that turned us into animals, and the potion that killed Ruth and Emily. Folks used to say that the Devil himself gave Winifred that book, and they did not say such things lightly."

After sampling the power that came from that book, Max was more than willing to believe the rumours. His stomach still ached from the lightning Winifred had used to toss him around like a doll, and it was an experience he was in no hurry to receive again.

"So let's torch the sucker."

He took the book from Alison and dropped it on the floor, ignoring the annoyed clicking of Elizabeth's beak as be bent down to set it on fire with his lighter. But as the flame got close to the book, the wind kept blowing the flame away from the evil tome. That would have been understandable, if not for the fact there had not been any wind before that moment.

"It's no use, Max, it's protected by magic."

"I take it thy father tried to have it burned, Thackery?"

"Aye. They spent weeks trying everything they knew to destroy it. Even thy Uncle tried to banish it, but it kept coming back from whatever pit he buried it in."

"Poor Uncle Parris, it must have vexed him so."

"Indeed. I never heard such oaths, spoken by a man of God no less."

It seemed to be an inside joke of some point, since the pair of them were the only ones who chuckled. But their laughter was soon drowned out by a horrible cackle, that Max could easily recognise even though he had heard it only once before. He wasted no time in dragging the girls behind some gravestones, as Winifred, Mary and Sarah floated above them on broomsticks of all things.

_Way to feed into the stereotype, you old crones!_

"Book! Come to Mummy!"

"Afraid not!"

Elizabeth screeched above them in the tree as Thackery ran out and jumped on top of the levitating book, bringing it back down to earth.

"Thackery Binx, thy mangy feline. Still alive?"

"And waiting for you!"

"Ha! Thou has waited in vain. And thou will fail to save thy friends, just as thou failed to save thy sister! Argh!"

A white blur flew in front of Winifred and scratched her cheek, before hovering over a seriously ticked off Thackery and the book.

"Thou were always one to gloat before ye had even won, Winifred Sanderson!"

"That voice…Elizabeth Taylor! I should have had thee stuffed when I had the chance, you meddlesome girl!"

"As if thou could catch me, you ugly old hag!"

Winifred snarled in anger and flew at Elizabeth, murder promised in her eyes. But she was too slow for the tiny owl, who dropped out of harm's way just in time. Max took the initiative and grabbed the book, before dragging Danni away from the angry old crones with Alison and the animals hot on his heels.

_Will this nightmare never end?_


	13. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: 31st December 2012**

Another year has come and gone, I am another year older and I hope I am a little wiser. This year has been hard for me on a professional and personal level, but somehow I've muddled through and survived another year. Now is the time to toast old friends and make new resolutions, (wether I keep them or not is another story...) and hopefully 2013 will be a little better than 2012.

Happy New Year!

Skyla123 **xxx**

* * *

><p><em>Billy Butcherson…<em>

For all his earthly faults, Billy had been a devout man his entire life and he had never missed a church service even when he was ill. Even though he was courting a witch, Billy never wavered from his devotion to the Lord. He was often asked to read from the Bible, speaking with such passion and energy that he lifted the souls of all who heard him speak. So when he failed to turn up on the day he was to read from the Gospel, everyone knew that Winifred had finally killed him.

Only death would keep Billy from the church that he loved.

The men had set out immediately after church, and Elizabeth had watched along with the other women and children as the men and the older boys went into the woods to look for Billy. Thackery went with them that morning, and the day after when the search was called off later that night. It was mid-afternoon on the second day that they came back carrying a body hidden under their coats, which they did only to spare the women the sight of Billy's corpse.

But being the Parson's niece, Elizabeth was often the one to help tend the bodies before they were buried. So she saw what Winifred did to his mouth, along with the rest of his body. They had done the best they could with his remains, before sealing him in his wooden coffin and burying him in the burial grounds.

So it was strangely fitting in a way that as the last living soul to see him before he entered the ground, that she was one of the first to see him as he was raised from the dead by Winifred.

The children had been running for their lives around the graveyard, as the witches flew overhead trying to grab them and the spell book. Mary completely missed her target when she swooped down to grab the girls, while Sarah true to her man-eating nature went straight for Max and the book.

"Brave little virgin, who lit the candle. I'll be thy friend…"

"Hey, take a hike!"

It was amusing to see Allison swat Sarah away with a tree branch like she was nothing more than an annoying fly, while Max stood there gaping like a fish at the sight. The blonde took the hint after the branch scratched her face, and she flew away to escape further harm. Thackery and Elizabeth both went for Winifred, who kept trying to summon her book from Max's arms. While she pecked at the evil crone's hands to make her slip off her broom, he went for the head and began clawing at her eyes.

"Wretched beasts! Away with thee!"

The pair were sent flying by magic, Thackery was able to land on his feet but Elizabeth was unable to save herself in time. She crashed into Billy Butcherson's grave marker with some force, which dazed her and caused her vision to blur for several minutes. She was picked up by someone and held for dear life against their chest, and Elizabeth could feel their heart beating rapidly against their ribs. While her vision was somewhat impaired, her hearing was still second to none thanks to her current form.

_Unfaithful lover long since dead,  
>Deep asleep on thy wormy bed,<br>Wiggle thy toes, open thine eyes  
>Twist thy fingers toward the sky!<br>Life is sweet, be not shy  
>On thy feet, so sayeth I!<em>

At first nothing happened, and Elizabeth allowed herself to briefly think that perhaps Winifred had made a mistake. But common sense and the ground shaking both prevailed over her wishful thinking, as a blurry shape rose from the ground near Billy's grave. It wasn't until the lid of the casket flew off into the air with a terrific bang, that Elizabeth realised what was happening. If she had thought that her contempt for Winifred Sanderson could not get any deeper, then she was sorely mistaken.

_God's Death…Thou art a demon, Winifred Sanderson!_

Her vision cleared enough just in time to see the shape of Billy Butcherson rise from his grave, and turn to look at the five of them sitting dumbly next to his grave. Elizabeth sorely wished God had thought to give Owls eyelids, since she desired nothing more than to blink away the blurry sight of the un-dead man staring back at her. The five looked at each other in horror before returning their attention to the zombie in front of them, and as one let out a terrified cry that rang though the air before running away from Billy.

Elizabeth was glad someone was carrying her, since her tiny body had paralysed itself in fear.

_Dear Father who art in Heaven, why did it have to be a Zombie?!_

* * *

><p>Max could not remember a time when he had run for his life three times in the space of an hour, but as he ran between the headstones while dragging Danni behind him he found he didn't really care. The only thing that mattered to him was getting his sister away from the <em>freakin'<em> _zombie _Winifred was screeching at to get them, while Alison carried the dazed Elizabeth just behind him. A loud moaning noise made him look back, and it took every bit of his self-control not to scream as the zombie of Billy Butcherson came stumbling after them at some speed.

"Quick, in here!"

Binx jumped down a dark hole in a wall just in front of them, and Max sent the girls in after him as he looked around in a panic for a way to slow Billy down. Just as the zombie was about to come down on him, his eyes landed on a tree branch. Max grabbed it and pulled it back, and Billy suddenly found himself without a head as the branch knocked it clean off. The head rolled down the hill away from the body, and Max let out a sigh of relief as he watched it disappear into the darkness. The sigh soon became lodged in his throat as Billy's body continued to move around in search of his head, which was the complete opposite of what Max had expected to happen.

_Yet another thing Hollywood's gotten wrong!_

The teen wasted no time in throwing the book down the hole Binx and the girls had disappeared into, before following it down into the darkness. The girls were brushing themselves down as he landed on the floor, the book thankfully breaking his fall somewhat. He quickly scrambled to his feet and began fishing around in his pockets for his lighter.

"Watch thy head, Max."

"Wha-OW!"

The owl twittered in laughter as he hit his head on the said stone from her perch on the wall, and Max grumbled under his breath at her as he lit his lighter and looked around.

"What is this place, Binx?"

"It's the old Salem Crypt. It connects to the sewer and up to the street."

The lighter quickly confirmed that they were in fact inside an old crypt, especially when Max looked at the ceiling and saw a skeleton half in and out of its coffin.

"Urgh, don't look up Danni."

"Don't worry, I won't!"

Max ruffled her hair as she clung to him for comfort, she had never been one for scary movies and now she was practically staring in one. Only this time they couldn't turn off the VCR when it got too scary for her.

"Relax, I've hunted mice down here for years."

"Mice? Yuck!"

"Thou should not turn thy nose up until thou have tried them, young Danni. Though I will admit, I was not keen on them myself at first…"

The own trailed off as she followed something on the floor with her eyes, before swooping down from her perch and grabbing something in her talons. She flew ahead into the darkness to eat whatever it was she had caught, leaving the three children to turn green at the sound of breaking bones.

"C'mon, we've got to go. Winifred may not be able to follow us, but Billy can."

It was the last three words that did it for Max, and he lead the girls into the darkness with his lighter.

_Oh great, __**more**__ running…_

* * *

><p>Elizabeth felt much better after her little snack, since she could hardly call a baby mouse a meal. She spent most of the journey perched on Danni's shoulder, since the roots from the trees above made it too dangerous for her to fly in the tunnels. One wrong move could have cost her a broken wing, which would take up far too much precious time to heal properly. And with Billy hot on their heels, wasting time was a luxury they could ill afford.<p>

The tunnels it seemed went on forever, and Danni was not having a good time of it. The bones were scaring her, and the roots kept tangling themselves in her hair and pulling as she tried to move away. Elizabeth used her beak to break the roots and whispered encouragement to the child as she struggled on the uneven floor, while her brother led the way with his lighter.

_This child should be having fun this night, not running for her life from a witch…_

Eventually they came to a ladder, and Max volunteered to go first with Thackery while they waited below. Max handed Alison the book and began to climb, leaving the three of them to hold their breath as they waited.

"_Binx! Look out!"_

Three pairs of eyes watched as Max fell back down into the tunnel, and they all felt their stomachs drop with him when they failed to see Thackery with him. They waited until the bus had passed over them before climbing the ladder, with Elizabeth now perched on Max's shoulder as he climbed the ladder again. The owl waited until Max had opened the manhole before taking flight, rising out of the ground to hover over the sickening sight that awaited her.

_I swear motorised vehicles were the invention of Satan… _

She landed next to him and gently prodded him with one of her wings, while trying to ignore the broken bones sticking out of his flesh. Elizabeth herself had fallen victim to cars and buses, more often than not while trying to escape from a human with a shotgun. The sensation was like being hit with a sledgehammer, with her tiny body bending to fit the contours of the vehicle before being shot forward and landing with some speed on the ground. More often than not it was the landing that did the most damage, relieving her of most of her skin and feathers as she skidded along the ground.

But tyres were in a whole other league of pain.

_Broken bones, crushed organs…this resurrection is not going to be pretty…_

The children reacted badly to the sight of him lying there on the road, with Danni crying into Alison's jumper while the older ones just looked away. Elizabeth perched herself on Max's shoulder and kept her eyes on him, waiting for Winifred's curse to revive him.

_C'mon Thackery…_

Light came back into his eyes as his bones began to knit themselves back together, disappearing back beneath his flesh. Elizabeth flicked Max's ear with a feather to make him turn around, which he did just in time to see Thackery sit up and crack his neck.

"Jesu, I **hate** it when that happens…"

The sight of him moving around again made the tiny owl glad, but that feeling was soon replaced by anger. Elizabeth wasted no time in swooping down and pecking him sharply with her beak, which made him yelp in pain.

"Ow! Eliza-"

"Don't thou ever scare me like that again! You hear me, Thackery Binx?"

"Ow! Yes, I hear thee!"

The three children were as pale as a sheet of paper, and if truth be told they looked just as solid as they stared at the reanimated Thackery rubbing his sore head with a paw. Elizabeth chuckled darkly to herself, if they had any doubts before about Winifred's curse they surely did not have them now after witnessing _that. _

"H-How did he-"

"Magic, Alison. Winifred's curse won't let us die, remember?"

"Oh."

"Indeed, now come. Thou must get off the road, since thou do not have a curse to bring ye back if a car hits thee."

Thackery stayed behind as the three got off the road, and waited until their eyes were elsewhere before he licked her softly on the cheek.

"_I'm sorry…"_

Elizabeth had never been so glad to have feathers until that point; otherwise her face would have been bright red.

"_Y-You're forgiven, this time…"_

* * *

><p><em>What the-<em>

Danni could hardly believe her eyes. She had turned around to call for Thackery and Elizabeth, and instead of seeing an owl and a cat she saw something else entirely.

Two teens were stood in the middle of the road, both dressed in old fashioned clothes. The boy kissed the girl on the cheek and whispered something into her ear, which made the girl blush as she mumbled something back to him. Her reply made the boy smile at her, which only made the girl blush harder as she hid her face behind her hair.

A firework went off in the distance, which made Danni jump out of her skin and blink.

"What's up?"

Max was looking worriedly at her, obviously worried after her jump. She shook her head and looked back at the road, only to find that the image of the teens had gone and in their place was the familiar sight of a black cat and a snowy white owl.

_W-What __**was **__that?_


End file.
